Media Information
VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC.
2200 Ferdinand Porsche Drive
Herndon, Virginia 20171
(703) 364-7000
www.media.vw.com
CONTACT: Mark Gillies
703-364-7104
[email protected]
Darryll Harrison
(310) 773-6720
[email protected]
THE VOLKSWAGEN XL1 HITS THE STREETS OF NEW YORK
Futuristic-looking TDI® Clean Diesel plug-in hybrid nets 261 mpg on the European combined fuel economy
cycle
• XL1 can operate as a pure EV for up to 31 miles
• Two-cylinder TDI engine displaces 0.8 liters, makes 48 horsepower
• Best aerodynamics of any production car: Cd of just 0.189
• Super-low weight of 1753 pounds achieved through extensive use of carbonfiber, aluminum, and
magnesium
• 250 will be built at Volkswagen’s Osnabrück factory in Germany
New York, Dec 11, 2013
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New Yorkers got a glimpse of the future this week, as the Volkswagen XL1
arrived in the City as part of a month-long American tour that took in Los Angeles, Washington D.C.,
and the Big Apple.
The XL1, which looks like it could have driven off the set of a sci-fi movie, is the most fuelefficient production car in the world, with a European combined fuel consumption rating of 261 mpg and
CO2 emissions of 21 g/km. Thanks to its plug-in hybrid system, this two-seater can also cover up to 31
miles as a zero-emissions electric vehicle.
To achieve this incredible fuel economy, Volkswagen engineers married an incredibly efficient, dieselelectric plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain with a lightweight carbonfiber structure and the best
aerodynamics of any production car in the world. The XL1 weighs just 1753 pounds, has a coefficient of
drag of just 0.189, and uses a 48-horsepower two-cylinder turbocharged and direct-injection TDI® Clean
Diesel engine that is mated to a 27-horsepower electric motor, a seven-speed DSG® dual-clutch
automatic transmission, and a 5.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. Thanks to this formula, this superefficient Volkswagen can cruise at a constant 62 mph while using just 8.3 horsepower. In all-electric
mode, the XL1 requires less than 0.1 kWh to cover more than 0.6 miles (one kilometer).
The 261 mpg fuel consumption figure is a record for a production car, showing that Volkswagen is in
the automotive industry’s technical vanguard. The XL1 also has a top speed of 99 mph and can
accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 12.7 seconds.
Conceptually, the XL1 represents the third evolutionary stage of Volkswagen’s 1-liter car strategy. At
the start of this current millennium, Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Piëch—currently Chairman of the Supervisory
Board of Volkswagen AG—formulated the visionary goal of producing a practical car that had a combined
fuel consumption of one liter per 100 km (235 mpg). In the two-seat XL1, this vision has become
reality.
Despite the tremendous efficiency of the XL1, the engineers and designers successfully came up with a
body design that delivers more everyday utility than the two previous prototypes. In the L1, the 1liter car that was shown in 2002 and 2009, the driver and passenger sat behind each other for optimal
aerodynamics; in the XL1, the two occupants sit slightly offset, side by side, almost like a
conventional vehicle.
The XL1 is 153.1 inches long, 65.6 inches wide, and just 45.4 inches tall. By comparison, a Volkswagen
Polo is slightly longer (156.3 in) and wider (66.2 in), but is significantly taller (57.6 in). Even a
purebred sports car like today’s Porsche Boxster is 5.1 inches taller. Just 250 XL1s will be produced
at the Volkswagen factory in Osnabrück, Germany, priced at approximately $145,000.
XL1 SPECIFICATIONS
Carbonfiber reinforced polymer monocoque and
Body
panels
Length x width x height
153.1 in x 65.6 in x 45.4 in
Wheelbase
Drive system
87.6 in
Plug-in diesel hybrid, rear-wheel drive
Engine
TDI Clean Diesel, two cylinder
Capacity
830 cc
Output
48 hp, 89 lb-ft
Electric motor
27 hp, 103 lb-ft
System output
68 hp, 103 lb-ft
Transmission
Seven-speed DSG automatic
Battery type
5.5 kWh lithium-ion
Weight
1753 lb
Performance/fuel economy
Max speed
European fuel consumption
C02 emissions
99 mph (electronically limited)
261 mpg
21 g/km
EV range
EV/TDI range
31 miles
More than 310 miles (10 liter fuel tank)
About Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc., an operating unit of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
(VWoA) is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in
Wolfsburg, Germany. VWoA’s operations in the United States include research and development, parts and
vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial
service centers, and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The
Volkswagen Group is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest
automaker. VWoA sells the Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Eos, Golf, Golf R, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen,
Passat, CC, Tiguan, and Touareg vehicles through approximately 630 independent U.S. dealers. Visit
Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or media.vw.com to learn more.
Notes:
This press release and images of the XL1 are available at media.vw.com. Follow us @VWNews
“DSG”, “TDI”, “VW”, “Volkswagen”, all model names and the Volkswagen logo are registered trademarks of
Volkswagen AG.
-###Additional information and news from Volkswagen is available at: http://media.vw.com