What is it?
Volkswagen Up! Lite
What's special about it?
The latest in a long line of Up! concepts, the Up! Lite features a diesel hybrid powertrain that Volkswagen says makes it the most fuel-efficient car in the world.
How efficient? Try 70 miles per gallon, at least according to Volkswagen. It accomplishes the amazing feat through the use of an 800cc, two-cylinder diesel engine that develops 50 horsepower. It gets help from a 10kW electric motor that works in parallel during high load situations. Together they churn out a whopping 65 hp.
So yes, the Up! Lite might be the most fuel-efficient car in the world, but it's also most assuredly the slowest. Especially in all-electric mode, a phase that Volkswagen claims is possible "in residential areas" for up to 1.2 miles. So not much, but its lithium-ion battery pack is relatively small. Volkswagen says making it any bigger would have added too much weight and dragged the fuel number down below 70 mpg.
And the weight is low thanks to a body made out of aluminum, carbon fiber and some steel. Volkswagen says it tips the scales at a mere 1,530 pounds. Volkswagen also says the Up! Lite is capable of hitting 100 mph, so it's more than a city car experiment.
Slightly bigger than the all-electric Up! concept shown in Frankfurt, the Up! Lite measures 151 inches long, 55 inches high and 63 inches wide. This makes it about the size of a Toyota Yaris hatchback. There's even 30 cubic feet of cargo space available behind the rear seats.
So, are there any plans to actually build this super-efficient city car? Volkswagen officials made a point of saying that the Up! Lite uses all the same components as the standard Up! microcar it already has planned for production in late 2011. So in other words, it's possible. Maybe.
Inside Line says: Finally, a diesel hybrid that is not a locomotive. Still not very powerful, and its limited electric range would need some work. Doesn't look bad for a hybrid, though. — Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor
Add A Comment »
mcmanus says:
09:45 AM, 12/06/2009
The stated mileage is not impressive considering the vehicle weight, engine/battery sizes, and performance. An Edmund's article from earlier this year regarding an European clean diesel AWD Subaru Legacy/Outback that got 70 mpg, and it was ready for market. Now that's impressive.
firstclass says:
11:32 AM, 12/03/2009
Wow, bears a remarkable resemblance to the Volvo c3o which wouldn't be such a bad thing if it didn't look so boxy. General Electric has been making Diesel hybrid trains for decades now as Ed pointed out. How about proving this technology with commercial transport vehicles? Seeing how Americans are so reluctant to pick up the green gas pump. I know people that drive hybrids want the world to know.. But the wheels aren't the place to do that.
heaven_on_mars says:
10:38 PM, 12/02/2009
I would take a 2010 Prius over that VW. You can get 50MPG or better in some cases and while not going to set any 0-60mph records, it would likely be faster than this little VW. Hypermileage buyers are out there, but vehicles like the Fusion Hybrid or the 3rd generation Prius are giving high MPG without giving up to much. Considering I have seen reports of the Jetta Wagon TDI getting nearly 40 MPG, I would expect a hyper mileage vehicle from VW to get 85 MPG considering it has only two cylinders, is a hybrid, and is has less weight to push around.