700 MPG BMW Concept Car is Gunning for VW XL1

Photos of a BMW patent application filed in Shanghai, China earlier this year surfaced on the internet recently, with most industry observers suggesting the car was intended to help BMW research fuel cell powertrains. But now, Autocar claims that a source within BMW with knowledge of the program has revealed that the car is actually a plug-in hybrid concept designed to challenge Volkswagen’s ultra-high MPG car, the XL1.

If that source is accurate, the prototype was built at BMW’s test facility in Munich, Germany and is currently undergoing an extensive development program. It is said to be a plug-in hybrid, whereas the XL1 is a “conventional” hybrid.  It’s also believed that the BMW concept will weigh more than the XL1, being a full four seat sedan as opposed to the XL1, only has room for two tandem passengers.

In order to steal headlines from the 260 MPG Volkswagen XL1, however, the BMW will have to post some pretty impressive fuel economy figures. To that end, the BMW experimental car is said to be capable of more than 700 mpg, although that would be measured by the (rather generous) European standard

The prototype is rumored to make extensive use of the carbon fiber technology BMW has pioneered for its i3 and i8 cars. While weighing almost 800 lbs more, it will have a much larger passenger cabin and more cargo carrying capacity than the Volkswagen, making it a more practical car for daily driving chores. Power is said to come from a front mounted 1.0 liter turbocharged two-cylinder engine working in conjunction with a rear mounted electric motor. According to Green Car Reports, the car’s battery weight will help to keep weight down by using a “newly-developed chemical process” that allows for greater energy density and faster charging.

No doubt, such a battery is much too expensive for a regular production car, but cost is no object when it comes to research vehicles and concept cars like this. A car such as this is probably 10 years or more away from production, but it is encouraging that BMW is striving to create cars that comply with ever-tightening emissions regulations that can still accelerate faster than a 1962 Plymouth Valiant.

Perhaps the future of motoring is not quite so bleak after all!

BMW High MPG Concept Car

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Photo credit: Car News China/PC Auto.

VW XL1 Aerodynamics Will Influence Next-Gen Golf

With a price of $169,000 and fuel efficiency of some 261 MPG, the Volkswagen XL1 is a concept car nobody expected VW to build. Yet it did, and people lined up for the limited production run of the hyper-efficiency, teardrop-shaped coupe.

A report from AutoCar says that lessons learned from the Volkswagen XL1 will be applied to the next-generation Volkswagen Golf, which is already being designed with the next round of European emissions standards in mind. This means a lot of aerodynamic efficiencies which could ultimately shape the look and feel of the next Golf…though it will still look like a Golf, we’ve been assured. Still, the XL1′s shape is what makes it so efficient, and turning a 1+1 coupe into a family hatchback is a tall order.

The Golf Mk8 will, due out sometime in 2019, will continue to use the flexible MQB platform, but won’t make use of aluminum due to cost constraints. Instead, new aerodynamic enhancements gleaned from work on the XL1 will be utilized, as a new round of engine improvements is unlikely to deliver the 22 to 27% carbon emissions reductions demanded by the Euro5 emissions standards. Even without aluminum though, Volkswagen is aiming for a 1,100 kg/2,425 lb. curb weight, as well as integrating flywheel energy recovery systems and electric turbochargers (an Audi speciality) into more mainstream cars.

What other lessons might Vdub get from the XL1 though? Well, the next Golf could have an adjustable ride height, hugging the road at highway speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag. The XL1 has an aerodynamic drag of just 0.189 and a curb weight around 1,800 pounds, which along with a hyper-efficient two-cylinder diesel engine/electric motor combo, delivers more than ten times the average new American car’s fuel economy.

Just how efficient does the next Golf have to be?

Source: Volkswagen