2009 Volkswagen L1

Wolfsburg/ Frankfurt, 15 September 2009 – At the 63rd International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Volkswagen is presenting a pioneering fleet of sustainable automobiles as an update on the future. Its IAA premieres range from the world’s most fuel-efficient production cars (BlueMotion) and hybrid technology to the L1 – a new study with one-litre fuel consumption – and an electric car, the E-Up!

“One of the basic milestones in the near automotive future is the mass produced electric car. Yet, to be a resounding success such an electric car must be affordable to a broad customer base as well as uncompromisingly practical in everyday driving,” says Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Group, at yesterday’s presentation of the E-Up! in the Jahrhunderthalle in Frankfurt.

The zero-emissions concept car designed under the leadership of Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management, Volkswagen Brand, and Head of the Development business area, is based on modules of the New Small Family anticipated for the year 2011, but at a length of 3.19 meters it is even more compact. The powerful and clean lines of the E-Up! body reflect par excellence styling based on the new Volkswagen “design DNA”, and the car shows cult potential.

The 3+1 seater, with a top speed of 135 km/h, is powered by an electric motor with a peak power of 60 kW (continuous power: 40 kW). From a stop, the front-mounted engine of the front-wheel drive car develops a maximum torque of 210 Newton-meter. The driver activates forward or reverse gear by a pushbutton on the centre console. The E-Up! will very clearly be fun to drive; one indication is its classic 0-to-100 km/h sprint performance of 11.3 seconds. On the one hand, this dynamic performance is due to the excellent torque characteristic of the electric motor, and on the other to the low kerb weight of the E-Up! of just 1,085 kilograms.

Today, Volkswagen is also celebrating the world premiere of the most fuel-efficient car in the world, the L1. This full-hybrid vehicle, weighing just 380 kilograms, offers an initial glimpse at how a production version might appear. The CFRP body is a masterful achievement in car making, both technically and visually. Unique on this car are its proportions. While the length of the L1 at 3,813 millimetres is still similar to that of a Volkswagen Fox, and its height of 1,143 millimetres nearly matches that of a Lamborghini Murciélago, the car’s aerodynamically optimised width (1,200 millimetres) has no comparisons in the world of today’s production cars.

With a combined fuel consumption value of 1.38 litres diesel, this Volkswagen – designed for everyday use and extremely aerodynamic (Cd of 0.195!) – will become a world champion fuel-saver. CO2 emissions of the 160 km/h L1 are 36 g/km. The TDI, E-motor and 7-speed DSG are installed at the rear; as a unit they represent the most fuel efficient hybrid drive in the world. In the standard “ECO” mode, the 800 cm3 TDI develops a power of 20 kW / 27 PS (at 4,000 rpm); in “Sport” mode – used to reach the car’s top speed, for example – the car’s power increases to 29 kW / 39 PS (at 4,000 rpm). The maximum torque of the TDI is 100 Newton-meter (at 1,900 rpm). Naturally, the L1 also has a Stop-Start system, which automatically shuts off the drive unit when the vehicle is at a stop and restarts it when the gas or E-pedal is pressed.

In total, the Volkswagen brand is represented by seven world premieres at the 2009 International Motor Show in Frankfurt. Along with the E-Up! and L1, they include the Polo Three-Door as the new entry-level version in the Polo model range, new BlueMotion versions of the Polo, Golf and Passat with record fuel economy and the Golf R as the highest performance Golf ever produced.

Story by Volkswagen AG