VW XL1 - eco dream car to cost £90,000

VW has announced that its ground-breaking eco car, the XL1, is to go on sale in Britain. The futuristic-looking hybrid is capable of an astonishing 300 mpg, but its £90,000 price tag puts it out of reach of frugal drivers.

VW will not be worried about filling its order book. Only 30 examples of this incredible vehicle are destined for the British market, which means that every XL1 will be snapped up by a car collector.

The car has been in development for ten years as part of the company’s goal of producing a car capable of travelling 100 km using no more than one litre of fuel.

The XL1 combines a small diesel engine with an electric motor and manages to surpass this target by ten per cent.

Despite the impressive fuel efficiency, the hybrid is capable of 99 mph and a 0-60 time of 11.9 seconds. Its CO₂ figure is a scooter-beating 24 g/km.

How does a car deliver 300 mpg?

• The L1 weighs in at 800 kg. Savings have been made through the use of carbon fibre and only half an engine
• The designers took the motor from a VW 1.6-litre TDI turbo diesel and chopped it in half before coupling it to a 14 hp electric motor
• The car can travel for 22 miles on electric power alone
• VW have made the XL1 as slippery as possible – the seats are staggered, which makes for a narrower and more aerodynamic shape (drag coefficient 0.186) - the car even does away with wing mirrors in favour of tiny cameras

https://youtu.be/a1opwwjG_z0