You may feel a little like batman when you get behind the wheel of VW’s upcoming hybrid, but your super power will be in the MPGs. Back in May we talked about VW’s plans to build a diesel-electric hybrid based on their One-Liter Car, with a release date of 2010. We have a few updates about their zippy little car.
The electric and diesel propulsion systems together are expected to get a whopping 235 miles per gallon, that much we know. We also hear that the fuel savings is maximized with a few little tricks – the engine shuts off at stop lights, for instance, the body is very light weight (the concept car weighs 640 pounds, with a body made of carbon fiber), and the aerodynamics are superb (the concept car’s drag coefficient is about half that of an average car).
Dimensions are about 11.4 feet long, 4.1 feet wide and 3.3 feet tall – talk about itty bitty! It’s not far off in size from their three-wheeler idea. But apparently it’s safe, as VW reports that the One-Liter Car is as safe as a GT sports car registered for racing, and comes complete with airbags and crunch control. Yeah, but that doesn’t do much to put your mind at ease when you’re essentially sledding down the road at high speeds.
Because the concept car is made of carbon monocoque, VW planned to wait intil the price of the material dropped to a reasonable amount, which they guessed would be in 2012. However, they’ve decided the cost is competitive enough to go ahead and get cracking, though that means the sticker price may fall between $31,750 to $47,622, according to Britain's Car magazine’s “well placed source.”
We’ll see how all these little nuggets given to us change as the car comes closer to release. It sounds like it’ll be a fun and efficient little car, but I have a hard time seeing Americans riding to work together tandem-style.
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