Environment Transportation Most Fuel Efficient Diesel-Hybrid in the World: VW Shows New Version of 1-Liter Concept Car (170 MPG) By Michael Graham Richard Writer University of Ottawa Michael Graham Richard is a writer from Ottawa, Ontario. He worked for Treehugger for 11 years, covering science, technology, and transportation. our editorial process Twitter Twitter Michael Graham Richard Updated October 11, 2018 Migrated Image Share Twitter Pinterest Email Transportation Automotive Active Aviation Public Transportation Volkswagen L1 Concept: Production Version to be Available in 2013, If All Goes Well... Now that's what we call downsizing. Last year we wrote about the extremely fuel efficient 1-Liter concept car by Volkswagen, but this year the 1-Liter concept (aka the L1) gets a complete makeover! It is now a diesel-hybrid and can be considered the world's most fuel efficient hybrid (though not a production car) with a fuel consumption of 1.38 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres (170 MPG)! More details below. Super Slippery Like the previous version, the Volkswagen L1 Concept is extremely aerodynamic. Its coefficient of drag is 0.195. By comparison, the 3rd generation Prius - which is very aerodynamic compared to most vehicles - has a CD of 0.25. Light as the Breeze Everything has been done to keep weight down. The car's body is made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), and while it is about as long as a VW Fox, it is very low (about as low as a Lamborghini Murciélago). This leads to a total curb weight of only 380 kilograms (840 pounds). "122 kg are taken by the drivetrain, 79 kg by the chassis, 35 kg by interior furnishings and 20 kg by the electrical system. The remaining 124 kg is the weight of the body". This is heavier than the previous version of the Volkswagen L1 Concept which was truly feather-light at 300 kg (660 pounds), but it had the benefit of having only a 1-cylinder diesel engine and no electric motor and batteries. Continued on page 2!