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hairman Dr Ferdinand Piech Stuns Shareholders at Annual General Meeting
Volkswagen has shown a car for the future – a ‘1-litre’ vehicle which uses less than one litre of fuel to cover 100 kms on the road.
The company’s Chairman of the Board of Management, Dr Ferdinand Piech, surprised shareholders gathered for the company’s Annual General Meeting on 14 April in Hamburg, Germany by driving the top secret car for the three hour trip from Volkswagen’s Head Office in Wolfsburg.
Despite rainy weather, Dr Piech completed the 230 kms distance at what must surely be a record-breaking fuel consumption figure of only 0.89 litre per 100 kms – once again demonstrating Volkswagen’s technological leadership in a meaningful, real life scenario.
The successful run was the reward for many weeks of test driving by Volkswagen engineers. Without the slightest hiccup, the experimental vehicle – its body unpainted in order to save weight – averaged 75 km/h for the journey and at the end was found to have passed only 2.1 litres of (diesel) fuel through its fuel injection system.
In appearance, Volkswagen’s world-first ‘1-litre’ car registered for road use resembles a sports car more than a typical research vehicle – since the concept called for a reduced frontal area to minimize wind resistance, the 3.65m long body is exceptionally narrow and low to the ground.
Developed in the wind tunnel and built entirely from composite carbon-fibre reinforced material, it has a width of only 1.25m and is just over a metre high. The reinforced plastic outer skin conceals a space frame that is not constructed from aluminium but from magnesium, an even lighter metal.
The ‘1-litre’ car is a mid-engine configuration with the single cylinder diesel engine ahead of the rear axle and driving through an automated direct-shift gearbox. The crankcase and cylinder head are of aluminium, using a monobloc construction.
The direct-injection naturally aspirated diesel powerplant has a capacity of just 0.3 litre and develops maximum power of 6.3 kW at 4000 rpm. The fuel supply system is a high pressure pump-injector.
Suspension is made from light-alloy components and is a complex design with double wishbones at the front and a De Dion rear axle layout. Wheels are made from lightweight composite materials and features 16-inch low friction tyres.
Inside the driver and one passenger are offered a sporting style with magnesium-framed seats covered in woven fabric. The two seats are in line with the passenger behind the driver.
Despite the emphasis on weight saving, safety was given close attention during every phase of the ‘1-litre’ car’s development. It has an anti-lock braking system, the ESP electronic stability program and a drivers’ airbag amongst its features. Deformable elements at the front and the space frame construction provide the same standards of impact and rollover protection as in a GT racing car.
In fact it is the sports car style concept of the ‘1-litre’ car which distinguishes it from a more spartan research vehicle one would have expected. For example, under a separate lid at the rear is an easily accessible load area with a capacity of 80 litres and the driver has a rear-view camera to aid reversing.
Viewed as a vehicle concept – with four wheels, but very low slung and with two seats in tandem – the ‘1-litre’ car is perhaps an indication of a totally new family of cars. It could open up new demand areas extending all the way from a “super saver” as seen in this execution to a low cost day-to-day touring vehicle for young people or even a supersport model with outstandingly high performance.
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