THE VOLKSWAGEN XL1 IS THE MOST EFFICIENT CAR EVER

DRIVE MORE THAN 500 MILES ON TWO GALLONS

OF FUEL

VOLKSWAGEN XL1

Fuel economy: 261 mpg

Weight: 1,753 pounds

Horsepower: 47 diesel, 27 electric

Top speed: 99 mph

For years, automakers have worked to push fuel economy

beyond 100 miles per gallon. Reaching that mark typically

meant three things: cutting weight, maximizing

aerodynamics, and improving powertrain efficiency. In

1999, Volkswagen engineers got close with the Lupo 3L, a

three-cylinder coupe that could go 78.4 miles on one

gallon of diesel. Not satisfied, VW tasked star engineer

Ulrich Hackenberg, whose résumé includes work at

Bentley and Bugatti, with breaking the 100mpg barrier.

Hackenberg’s team crushed that goal—and then some. In

tests, their new XL1 got a mind-bending 261 mpg.

The team designed nearly every part of the XL1 from

scratch. To trim weight and add strength, they replaced

some steel components, such as the chassis, with carbon-

fiber ones. To reduce drag, they removed side-view

mirrors and sculpted the body into a smooth, low-riding

shape. With the car lighter and slipperier, the 830cc, two-

cylinder diesel engine and the 20kW electric motor can

propel the XL1 well over 500 miles on a single 2.6-gallon

tank of fuel.

 VW is producing a limited run of 250 XL1s for sale in

Europe. U.S. safety regulations make importing the car

tricky, but Hackenberg says that Americans may see the

XL1’s efficient engine in future VWs.