Volkswagen's Biofriendly 1-Liter Car hits the Road

                                                                                         

When Volkswagen first announced its One-Liter Car in 2002, it was an instant sensation. The term "One-Liter" refers not to the size of the engine, but to the fact that it takes only one liter of fuel to drive 100 kilometers in this biofriendly vehicle. That translates to an astounding 235 U.S. miles per gallon (or 282 Imperial mpg). (1)

It was demonstrated that this mileage is no idle claim when Volkswagen's Chairman of the Board drove the vehicle from the factory and achieved 0.89 liters per 100 km, or 264 US mpg. Until now, there was just a prototype of this car, but Volkswagen recently announced that it will produce a limited number of them in 2010, probably no more than a thousand units per year. (2)

Obviously, Volkswagen had to do some amazing things to achieve this kind of fuel economy. To start with the car has a carbon-fiber body and weighs only about 660 pounds. With that little weight power steering or power brakes are not needed. To reduce aerodynamic drag, this sporty looking two-seater has the passenger sitting behind the driver and instead of external rear view mirrors that would increase drag, the vehicle has built-in video cameras.

The prototype car is powered by an air-cooled aluminum 0.3-liter one-cylinder diesel engine, but the production model is expected to be outfitted with a 2-cylinder engine that can be fueled with algae diesel. The engine is combined with a specially designed automated direct shift gearbox.

Even though lightweight construction was the major design criterion, safety has not been compromised and some impressive features have been added. For instance, the car has anti-lock brakes and a driver seat airbag. In addition, the space frame construction provides impact and rollover protection. (3)

The slick, bullet-shaped car resembles the cockpit of a jet fighter. It is 11.4 feet long, 4.1 feet wide and 3.3 feet tall. The price is estimated at anywhere from 20,000 to 30,000 Euros (about $31,750 to $47,622), which is expensive, but with today's soaring fuel prices that may turn out to be a good deal after all. (4)

Volkswagen is one of many car manufacturers and individuals working towards a greener, more energy efficient future. Their one-liter car clearly demonstrates that dramatic improvements in gas mileage are possible with today's technologies. Fuel economy is also the concern of Biofriendly Corporation, whose Green Plus® liquid fuel catalyst for internal combustion engines improves fuel economy, increases torque and reduces harmful emissions.

For more information about Green Plus, visit the Biofriendly website at www.biofriendly.com.

About the author:
Peter Verhoeff is a freelance writer who contributes articles on environmental issues for Biofriendly Corporation. More information about environmental issues can be found at http://www.biofriendly.com.

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