Volkswagen releases gas in the general direction of CAFE standards! CEO Martin Winterkorn has confirmed the company is working on an ultra-high-mileage car that will get 235 mpg, according to Greencar.com. The VeeDub hypermiler is a tandem two-seater with a Cd of 0.159 and an estimated range of 400 miles on its 1.7 gallon fuel tank. The engine is a single cylinder diesel displacing 300 – 500cc, attached to a six-speed DSG transmission. Thanks to lightweight materials like carbon fiber, magnesium and lightweight alloys, the entire vehicle weighs in at 639 pounds. VW says a limited production version could be offered by 2010. Unless VW hacks Tesla's "customer" list, the chances are the complete vehicle won't make it to market. But look for a carbon fiber wing mirror on the next GTI.
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This thing looks perfect for the wierd, lanky middle-aged guy with the long shaggy beard who rides his recombinant bicycle past me on his way to work every morning.
I see him all the time from the driver’s seat of my idling full-sized Silverado while parked at the Dunkin’ Donuts, sipping coffee and smoking Marlboro Reds.
Wow 235 mpg! Now the only other things to tackle are to make it less ugly, reliable and not require regularly scheduled “dealer maintenance” at $597.00 a pop.
I seriously doubt this is a production vehicle. But imagine, with the lessons learned from this exercise, what could be possible in a 50-75 mpg vehicle? At least they’re giving it the old college try…
A comfortable, fun and safe extreme economy commuter car like that would find a surprisingly big market if they can figure out the details.
I hope it gets made, and there really aren’t any good reasons it shouldn’t be made.
In the US many people already own more vehicles than they have drivers for and a really cheap to run commuter car for the everyday stuff has a market. It sure beats living with the delays of public transit.
This looks like more of an excercise in ‘What if’ than an actual production vehicle but I agree that they may learn some things that will make their actual production vehicles more fuel efficient. Maybe they are taking a page from Toyota’s playbook: make a high profile,high milage car (Prius) that allows you to produce more gas guzzling trucks (Tundra, Sequoia, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser) while keeping the reputation of being environmentally friendly.
Actually it reminds me a lot of a modern version of the prototype People’s Car of the late 1930’s.
Isn’t this almost what I was describing the other day? I was actually thinking about a trike or bike so that it leaned when turning. That would make it a lot more fun to ride in, and help sell it. I have seen these sold as kits, and one of them was going for insane money.
Of course, I am like the recumbant guy without the beard or the bike.
It looks like an updated version of the old Messerschmitt.
Blister:
You took the words right out of my mouth. But I don’t drive a Silverado, or smoke. Still, I eat doughnuts, and my car idles away with a wide open, catless exhaust.
Oh, and the caption for the picture just made me laugh real loud at work.
Also, I just looked at the picture again…this just looks like they took that three wheeled set up thing they had, and put a body on it.
I kinda like it. Brings back memories of Stark Trek III.
Wait a second. Spocks coffin was actually a modified Lincoln Mark VI. Nevermind.
Please give it 75 hp. Put one wheel out back, escape cardom regulations.
I’d buy it, at oh 14k if fully developed and more reliable than usual VW/audi. Please no turbo all wheel drive etc.
I dont like two seat wide, drive alone 98%.
Might have to buy a folder bicycle to fit in back.
25 or so years ago Toyota experimented with engines that shut off while we waited for traffic lights and then restarted quickly when the fuel pedal was pressed. It wasn’t practical back then but this feature is now routine on the Prius and helps save fuel.
Maybe this etremely efficient VW will never be produced but it is wonderful that VW is doing these experiments and who knows what features they learned from this car will show up in the future.