Posts Tagged ‘Hybrid’

Volkswagen XL1 Diesel-Electric Plug-In Hybrid Concept

Posted: January 26, 2011 in Fuel Economy, Hybrids, Electrics and other "Green" Technology, Volkswagen
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Volkswagen teases us again with a car that isn’t going to be in your driveway anytime soon. VW says it will get 313 Imperial mpg which is the equivalent of 261 US mpg.  Who wouldn’t want that?  Well, you can’t have it.  It’s a terrific concept car and some of its fuel-saving technologies will trickle down to production models at some point this decade.

I don’t get it. We get the horrible new Jetta and a decontented Passat for fat Americans. It’s obvious that the VW Group (including Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, Seat and Skoda) has a deep and talented pool of engineers and designers.  Will the US market always be last in line to get the cool, efficient offerings from VW?

Volkswagen XL1 Diesel-Electric Plug-In Hybrid. VW calls it a Super Efficient Vehicle (SEV).

Below is the VW’s official press release from the Qatar Auto Show.  Everyone else is just rewriting it, so rather than waste time, here it is from the VW spin doctors – uh, I mean PR department:

Volkswagen unveils the XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle in Qatar

The new Volkswagen XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle (SEV) has been unveiled at the Qatar Motor Show. Pioneering construction techniques, an advanced plug-in hybrid drivetrain and innovative packaging all play a part in allowing the XL1 to return 313 mpg on the combined cycle while emitting 24 g/km of CO2 to set a new benchmark for vehicle efficiency.

Powering the XL1 is a compact 800 cc TDI two-cylinder common rail diesel engine developing 48 PS. It’s linked to an electric motor producing 27 PS, resulting in a total of 75 PS – a modest output yet more than enough when the low kerb weight (795 kg) of the vehicle is taken into account.

The TDI engine is linked to an electric motor and a seven-speed DSG gearbox with an automatic clutch mounted between each unit. The electric motor can either work independently of the TDI engine or in tandem when accelerating. In pure electric mode the XL1 can travel up to 35 km before the diesel engine cuts in. Accelerating from rest to 62 mph can be achieved in 11.9 seconds; the electronically limited top speed is 99 mph.

In both its styling and packaging the XL1 draws on lessons learned from the 1-Litre car (2002) and the L1 concept (2009). The XL1 has evolved to feature staggered seating with the driver and passenger placed next to each other in a body structure made from advanced new materials providing immense strength yet weighing just 230 kg.

To make such weight savings possible, and yet viable for series production, Volkswagen developed and patented a new system for the manufacture of the Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) parts on the car called the Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) process.

In total the XL1 weighs 795 kg. In addition to the body structure, the weight is accounted for by the drivetrain (227 kg), the running gear (153 kg), the interior including a pair of bucket seats (80 kg) and the electrical system (105 kg). In total just 23.2 per cent of the car (184 kg) is made out of either steel or iron.

Further savings are made through the extensive use of lightweight materials including magnesium (wheels), ceramics (brake discs) and aluminium (dampers, steering system, brake calipers).

The styling of the XL1 is borne out of functional requirements – easy access to the interior is granted via a pair of elegant scissor doors that hinge on the A-pillar while the profile of the car has been honed in the wind tunnel, the result being a remarkable coefficient of drag figure of 0.186. The XL1’s overall length (3,970 mm) and width (1,682 mm) are similar to those of a Volkswagen Polo yet its height (1,184 mm) is more akin to that of a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder.

Although the XL1 is still very much a concept, its unveiling marks the next step towards the birth of a new class of Super Efficient Vehicles, while the advent of a process such as RTM is a significant milestone.

I think it looks appropriately futuristic; but opinions have been all over the map from “hate it” to “love it.”  Here are some of the official VW pictures. I’ll post more as I find them.

The 2012 Buick LaCrosse will be first with eAssist – Would you buy it?

Posted: January 22, 2011 in Buick, General Motors, Opel
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The 2012 Buick LaCrosse will come with an eAssist option package that is a pretty trick piece of engineering.  It starts with the combination of GM’s 2.4 liter 4-cylinder Ecotec direct gas injection engine and a Hydra-Matic 6-speed automatic transmission, then eAssist is added.  Here’s GM’s description of the system:

The eAssist system is a bundle of technologies that includes a lightweight and compact 115V air-cooled lithium-ion battery pack, integrated power inverter and 12V power supply—mounted just in front of the trunk but having a minimal impact on the trunk’s cargo space and still allowing the use of split-folding rear seats—and a liquid-cooled electric motor-generator attached to the LaCrosse’s engine in place of a standard alternator. Working together, this hardware delivers:

  • Enough regenerative braking power to provide up to 15 kW of electricity for charging the LaCrosse’s battery pack.
  • The ability to add up to 11 kW (15 hp) of electric power assistance when the car is accelerating.
  • Automatic engine shut-off functionality when the vehicle is stopped.
  • An aggressive fuel cut-off system that kicks in during deceleration.
  • Intelligent charge/discharge functionality for its high-voltage battery pack.

GM says the Buick LaCrosse eAssist will start at about $30,000 and is projected to get 25 mpg city, 37 highway. That’s damn good fuel economy for something best described as a “mild hybrid.”  Those figures are easily in diesel territory and the price is cheaper than a full hybrid.

My problem:  The Buick LaCrosse, based on the Opel Insignia, is a terrific car, loaded with technology but handicapped by too much bling and fake plastic wood. The Buick nameplate (in the US market) is tarnished from decades of neglect and abuse as part of GM’s notorious divisional system where crappy products ruled the day.  The average age of a Buick driver is now 65, down from 72 and the average age of a new Buick customer is 61 down from 64.   From the LA/So Cal perspective, I’d say those numbers are low and I don’t know anyone who wants to buy a Buick LaCrosse or Regal.  No one.

In Palm Springs, they still sell Buicks by adding landau tops and gold trim packages for the retired folks.  I claim no scientific sampling, but it seems that the Buick drivers in the desert cities are easily in their 80s.  In LA, Buick is still an airport rental. Note to GM: The constant dumping of these cars into rental fleets sucks the life out of retail sales.

I don’t have a good answer for this conundrum.  With Saturn, Oldsmobile and Pontiac gone, GM’s only “luxury” front drive brand left is Buick. I’d love to see the technology re-engineered to work on a rear-drive Cadillac, but I don’t think the “new GM” is willing to invest in that direction.

Yes, I admit Buick sales are “way up” but when you start from such a low number and dump two fresh new models into the market, the only direction to go is up.  It still boggles the mind that the Chinese think Buick is a super-premium brand — that’s the only reason Buick survived the bankruptcy. But it has a long way to go to attract U.S. buyers who aren’t on their last car.

Check out the video and see if you’d consider the 2012 LaCrosse with eAssist technology.

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