The Volkswagen XL1 (VW 1-litre) is a two-person limited production diesel-powered plug-in hybrid produced by Volkswagen. The XL1 car was designed to be able to travel 100 km on 1 litre of diesel (280 mpg‑imperial), with a fully charged battery, while being both roadworthy and practical. Without using electric power, the XL can travel 100 km on 2 litres of diesel. To achieve such economy, it was produced with lightweight materials, a streamlined body and an engine and transmission designed and tuned for economy. The concept car was modified first in 2009 as the L1 and again in 2011 as the XL1.
A limited production of 250 units began by mid-2013 and pricing started at €111,000. The XL1 was released to retail customers in Germany in June 2014.
The prototype VW 1-litre concept car was shown to the public in April 2002 when Ferdinand Piëch, then chairman of the board of management, drove the concept between Wolfsburg and Hamburg as part of the Volkswagen annual meeting of stockholders.
The second Volkswagen 1-litre car, named L1, was first shown to the public at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Limited production of the VW L1 was expected to start in 2013 but with the announcement of the XL1 in 2011 this was considered unlikely.
The XL1 is the third iteration of the Volkswagen 1-litre car, unveiled at the 2011 Qatar Motor Show. The diesel plug-in hybrid prototype is branded as a “Super Efficient Vehicle” (SEV).
The XL1 has a kerb weight of 795 kg (1,753 lb), and a drag coefficient of Cd=0.186 (a similar drag coefficient to the General Motors EV1 electric car). The design incorporates butterfly doors, with the interior seating layout using a staggered side-by-side arrangement similar to a Smart Fortwo, rather than the previous versions’ tandem seating.
In February 2012, Volkswagen confirmed that it would build a limited series of XL1s starting in 2013. The production version of the plug-in diesel-electric hybrid was unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.
As with the 2011 concept XL1, it is powered by an 800cc two-cylinder diesel engine with 47 bhp and a 27 bhp electric motor. Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The wheels are fitted with low-rolling-resistance tyres.
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