VW reveals super-efficient car - Car Rental News
VW reveals super-efficient car
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Car Rental News - 01/08/2011
German automaker has unveiled a car that can get 313mpg.
German carmaker Volkswagen has produced a car that can allegedly drive for 313 iles on a single gallon of diesel. What’s more, the car generates only 24 grammes of CO2 per kilometre driven.
The VW XL1, which can carry two adults, is powered by an electric motor in conjunction with a two-cylinder diesel engine of just 800cc capacity – smaller than many motorcycles.
The car’s core structure features a monocoque shell made from polymer, reinforced with carbon fibre. The novel construction keeps the weight down to a sprightly 795 kilogrammes.
VW’s German rival, BMW, does not plan to be left behind on the race to produce ultra-efficient cars. The company is also building a carbon-fibre car with electric power. Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, is also planning to produce carbon-fibre car parts.
The latest raft of development work undertaken by the German companies underlines the work increasingly being performed in the automobile industry to produce enhanced aerodynamic performance and cut the weight of cars. Work in this area is aimed at supporting the enhanced efficiency of the engines in these vehicles.
The so-called ‘electrification’ of car engines is increasingly a feature of mainstream automobile production, though all-electric cars are not expected to become mainstream products for several decades. Car companies are increasingly combining conventional technology – diesel or petrol power – with battery-powered motivation.
VW’s XL1 is due to be formally presented to the world tomorrow night at the annual Qatar motor show. Volkswagen says the car can reach 100km/k from a standstill in just 11.9 seconds, making it a reasonably zippy green car.
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