Volkswagen has come up with another solution for personal mobility based on this NILS show car
- Bah! Another of those pie-in-the-sky VW concepts.
Volkswagen has always been working hard with experimental cars pertaining to sufficiency transport, that is, vehicles with efficient packaging and powertrain.
This time round, VW has revealed the NILS single-seat electric car which is the result of cooperation with the German government.
Significant features of the NILS are a slippery body made from aluminium to help bring the weight down to just 460kg, and outboard wheels rimmed with low-rolling resistance tyres. Moreover, the solo driver sits in front of the engine compartment.
The solo driver sits in front of the engine.
- So what makes this state-sponsored car special?
That electric propulsion, in particular, whose development has been backed up by some interesting figures VW and the German authorities have provided.
A survey has revealed that 73.9% of respondents travel less than 25km work. That's why the electric motor has been tuned to run for 65km in total while attaining a 130kph top speed suitable for motorway runs (note the disc brakes on all four corners of the car).
It has also been stated that 90% of those using cars drive alone, so as to indicate that one-seat body measuring just 3 metres in overall length _ more than half-a-metre shorter than an Ecocar like the Honda Brio.
And since public roads have become so congested, the NILS features a Volvo-style automatic braking system below 30kph should the driver carelessly get carried away with texting while driving.
- Cool. So the NILS is for real?
Volkswagen isn't mentioning anything about its production prospects yet. But let's not forget that EVs will become important in 2013 when emission regulations get even stricter. Several other brands have also taken crucial notice of this date, such as BMW with its new i3 electric car.
Plus, remember that Urban Concept Audi has been teasing us in the past three weeks? It has, if not exactly the same, similar concepts to VW's NILS, like a zero CO2-emitting engine and a slim body configured within the left and right wheels.
WHAT VW MADE BEFORE
Efficient cars for the road are something Volkswagen has looked into for many years. The most recent one was the XL1 _ shown in Dubai earlier this year _ which is the latest evolution of the so-called 1-litre car that began in 2002.
Like the two previous concepts, the XL1 has a narrow body with two seats placed in tandem to gain on aerodynamics. The principle aim _ as the project's name implies _ is to achieve 1 litre per 100 kilometres, or 33.3kpl.
The pioneering 2002 concept came with a 299cc two-cylinder diesel, followed by the second iteration in 2009 called L1 that upped the capacity to 800cc _ essentially a 1.6-litre TDI minus two cylinders.
Volkswagen took this year's XL1 to the next level by adding electric motors with plug-in capability to the diesel-turbo engine. It has yet to make production.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
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