Would You Like to Get 285 Miles to the Gallon?

With some of these new concept vehicles, this dream might be a reality. Take a look at this follow up to our visit to the North American Autoshow by reviewing with some great concepts of past shows!

Do you have the fuel pump blues?

Here are some gas sippers to blow your mind.

One Is the Loneliest Number I Have Ever Known

The Volkswagon L1 is rated at 282 miles per gallon. That is one Gallon to drive from Detroit to Chicago.

That is in Imperial Gallons, so it drops all the way down to 235 miles per gallon in the US. Of course, you have to sit in the lap of your passenger, but at 235 miles per gallon, I think I’d soon get over it.

This vehicle, first shown in 2009 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, is one of the first super-efficient vehicle concepts produced by Volkswagon. Rumor had it, even going so far as to be reported on ABC News, that a single seat version of the vehicle would be sold in China for 4000 yuan, or about $600 US, which is about the cost of one month’s rent for a single bedroomapartment. That would make it very affordable. However, this turned out to be just that, a story, and the vehicle failed to show.

So what goes into building a vehicle that gets efficiency like that?

In order to get to that level of fuel efficiency, it was important to keep the vehicle light, the engine small, and the aerodynamics perfect. It is this last bit I want to talk about for a minute.

As any engineer will tell you, a car’s engine spends most of its output to overcome drag and other aerodynamic effects. Therefore, if you are able to greatly reduce drag, you can greatly improve fuel efficiency.

With a drag coefficient of 0.195, the L1 shrugs off the gallons by ducking the wind. That number will sound low to someone in the industry, but to someone like myself, I need some context to make sense of it.

For example, here are some common objects drag coefficients,or C_d.

Object	C_d
Volkswagon L1	0.19
Cadillac ATS	0.299
My 1999 Saturn SL1*	18.6*
Volkswagon Beetle	0.48
Bicycle plus rider	0.7
Skier	1.0
Empire State Building	1.4

*This number is a rough estimate due to the “condition” of the vehicle after many years of service.

As you can see, the Volkswagon L1 has an incredibly low drag coefficient to help bolster its fuel economy. This is done by using a streamlined body, with the passenger directly behind the driver, and the removal of the rear view mirrors. Fear not, though, as the driver is able to view behind him by using two screens in the dash linked to rear facing cameras. Efficient, as long as you can still see how fast you are going.

The two screens beside the speedometer are your rear view mirror

In 2011, Volkswagon produced a new version of the vehicle, showcasing it at the 2011 Qatar Motor Show. This new vehicle runs with only 260 miles per gallon, but is a bit roomier than the previous L1. The vehicle’s passenger sits beside the driver as well, resembling the Smart Fortwo.

interior VW concept

One Sec, Can I Borrow Your Shovel?

You can see the transition from concept vehicle, where the emphasis is on efficiency, to something made for everyday use, sacrificing some of its economy for comfort. After all, I may be able to drive across the State of Michigan on less than a gallon of gas, but you would need a shovel to pull me out afterwards.

Fuel efficient? Yes. Comfortable? Maybe.

by Benjamin Reese