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Volkswagen to produce 1-Liter car in 2010, should get over 200MPG
Engadget ^ | 5/9/08 | Darren Murph

Posted on 05/09/2008 10:07:16 AM PDT by dangerdoc

Although you can definitely pre-order an Aptera if you're okay with space-aged design, Volkswagen is hoping to provide another option for those looking for ridiculous MPG and a little bit of normalcy in construction. Okay, so maybe the 1-Liter isn't exactly standard fare -- with its plastic / magnesium shell and all-glass roof -- but at least it packs four whole wheels and an iconic VW badge, right? According to Motor Authority, the automaker will be producing said vehicle and pushing it to market as early as 2010, and while the minuscule engine will only take you to 75MPH, it will still seat two people -- one in front of the other, though -- and get around 235MPG. No word on a price or any of that good stuff, but we're hearing that they'll only be produced in "limited numbers" whenever they're launched.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: automakers; energy; volkswagen
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To: TLI

Cool, it’s got wheel spats like a Stuka! I’m in!


101 posted on 05/09/2008 1:42:59 PM PDT by PLMerite ("Unarmed, one can only flee from Evil. But Evil isn't overcome by fleeing from it." Jeff Cooper)
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To: Notary Sojac

>> Hugo and Mahmoud thank you. Osama would too. but he’s dead.

Spare me the nonsensical leftist psychobabble. The world’s tyrants and terrorists couldn’t care less about my choice in automotive transportation.

H


102 posted on 05/09/2008 1:49:33 PM PDT by SnakeDoctor
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To: zeugma
"I guess you could call it a 300 MPG car if you get your electricity for free."

Last I heard electricity is worth the equivalent of about 75 cents per equivalent gallon of gas, based on 3 dollars a gallon for gas.

Using the average U.S. electricity rate of 9 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), 30 miles of electric driving will cost 81 cents. If we optimistically assume the average US fuel economy is 25 miles per gallon, at $3.00 gasoline this equates to 75 cents a gallon for equivalent electricity. Compared to a regular hybrid's real-world 45 miles per gallon, it's effectively $1.20/gallon. PHEVs are meant to plug-in at night. In many areas of the country, overnight power is available at a lower cost. As PHEVs start to enter the marketplace, we'll see increasing support from electric utilities, as they'll offer reduced nighttime rates to incentivize off-peak charging. In some areas where wind and hydropower is wasted at night, the rate can be as low as 2-3 cents per kWh. That's 20-25 cents a gallon.

http://www.calcars.org/vehicles.html

103 posted on 05/09/2008 2:12:13 PM PDT by zipper ( Suicide voting is the quickest way to send the whole country to Hell.)
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To: Intimidator

>> Guess the motorcycle is out for you also huh?

Afraid so ... for several reasons, actually. Wife and 2 kids — nowhere to put them. Houston is hot as Hell, and it rains VERY often. And, motorcycles are mere speedbumps to SUVs.

I prefer riding in comfort — air conditioning, radio, nice conversation, TV/DVD player, etc ... motorcycles just don’t appear that comfortable to me.

H


104 posted on 05/09/2008 2:13:45 PM PDT by SnakeDoctor
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To: bmwcyle

This is a perfect car for in city commuting. But not out here in the rough and tough


105 posted on 05/09/2008 2:25:18 PM PDT by Chickensoup (Nude dancing in North America)
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To: crz
I own a VW Beetle diesel. 54 MPG and it’ll run with nearly anything on the road.Not to burst your bubble but since diesel has about 30 percent more BTUs per unit volume, you're running the equivalent of about 36 mpg in terms of energy usage. Still outstanding though. And I hear a new VW diesel coming here soon will get 70 mpg. Now that we are mandating "clean diesel" I hope to see ore diesels on the roads.

I don't think American cars are "junk". Actually the Fords are getting great reviews for quality the last year or two. But the car companies here are slow to respond to the demand for high-mileage, safe cars.

106 posted on 05/09/2008 2:30:23 PM PDT by zipper ( Suicide voting is the quickest way to send the whole country to Hell.)
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To: bmwcyle

Tandem! I call dibs on the front seat!


107 posted on 05/09/2008 2:31:46 PM PDT by TADSLOS (The GOP death march to the gravesite is underway.)
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To: hoosierham
I owned an Opel Kadett as my first car-it had a 1.1 liter 4 cylinder gas engine

I can relate. When I was a kid I owned a skateboard.

108 posted on 05/09/2008 3:40:00 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (It takes a father to raise a child.)
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To: woollyone

great. a friggin’ iPod on wheels.


109 posted on 05/09/2008 4:15:34 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (I'm over it.)
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To: zipper
I hope to see ore diesels on the roads.

no,man, the coal is too heavy and messy.

110 posted on 05/09/2008 4:20:53 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (I'm over it.)
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To: dangerdoc

interesting.


111 posted on 05/09/2008 4:22:29 PM PDT by Centurion2000 (Party ahead of principles; eventually you'll be selling out anything to anyone for the right price.)
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To: zipper

If demand for overnight power increases geometrically due to widespread adoption of electric vehicles, the price will go... down?

I would not count on it.


112 posted on 05/09/2008 4:28:16 PM PDT by ROP_RIP
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To: ROP_RIP

A ballanced load is less expensive. Power consumption goes down dramatically at night which means you can’t leave more relatively inexpensive coal generator spinning 24 hours a day. You have to use fewer coal generator and make up the peak with more expensive NG turbines.

If the power company could count on the overnight demand, they could replace $.08-.10/kwh generation with $.02/kwh generation. Would that make your electricity prices go up?

Of course, if the Feds won’t allow expansion of Coal generation then we are screwed regardless of whether we charge cars at night or not.


113 posted on 05/09/2008 5:28:50 PM PDT by dangerdoc (dangerdoc (not actually dangerous any more))
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To: Slapshot68
You know the funny thing is, when you look around during the morning commute, most cars only have one person in it.

True enough. I was the only passenger in my Jeep on my yo-yo drive to work, from work, to work, from work. So I sold it and bought a 4-cyl to save money.

114 posted on 05/09/2008 5:36:40 PM PDT by Puddleglum
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To: dangerdoc

A one liter engine and it will only do 75MPH? The geo metro had a 998cc 3 cylinder and would do 90+ easily.


115 posted on 05/09/2008 5:36:41 PM PDT by mamelukesabre (Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?)
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To: mamelukesabre
One liter car is a European colloquialism. It refers to a car that gets 100km/liter.
116 posted on 05/09/2008 5:45:45 PM PDT by dangerdoc (dangerdoc (not actually dangerous any more))
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

61in^3=1000cm^3

Therefore, 1500cc=92ci approx. You can do a very close approximation by converting hours to minutes and vice versa. 60 minutes equals one hour. So 60ci equals a liter. 2hours equals 120 minutes...so 2 liters equals 120 ci. How many liters equals 105 ci? Well, thats 60 minutes plus 45 minutes...or one and 3/4 hours...or one and 3/4 liters. 1.75 liters=105 cubic inches.


117 posted on 05/09/2008 5:47:24 PM PDT by mamelukesabre (Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?)
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To: lesser_satan

If you showed that pic to toolman tim taylor (tim allen), he’d try to hitch another horse or three and lighten the load they pull.

BTW, as an aside, the fastest animal powered vehicle (I think) is an ostrich hitched to a small 2 wheel carriage like those used in harness racing(a type of horse racing).


118 posted on 05/09/2008 6:03:38 PM PDT by mamelukesabre (Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?)
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To: woollyone

Whoa! Me too!


119 posted on 05/09/2008 6:12:34 PM PDT by Bender2 ("I've got a twisted sense of humor, and everything amuses me." RAH Beyond this Horizon)
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To: blasater1960

The smart thing to do would be to build offshore drilling rigs first. Then worry about drilling on land later. No one can steal our oil on our land. BUt the chicoms are already stealing our offshore oil. I say we drain the under-the-ocean oil reserves first...before anyone else can get to them ahead of us.


120 posted on 05/09/2008 6:13:18 PM PDT by mamelukesabre (Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?)
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