Awesomely Green Westfalia Verdier Solar Power VW Van
October 30, 2008
If you’ve ever looked at VW vans in longing for that seemingly carefree life, but cringe at the thought of how much you’d spend on gas, you’re really going to covet this. Eco Chick called our attention to the sweet new Westfalia Verdier Solar Power VW Van, which is way more hip and well-appointed than those Westfalias from the ‘60s. The sleek new design of this hybrid camper features solar panels that provide electricity for the on-board accessories while the vehicle is stationary, an on-board computer and a GPS system that calculates the best position for the solar panels.
From Eco Chick:
Some other improvements from the 1960’s version include, a pneumatic suspension, which lowers the vehicle and sets its structure on the tires for improved comfort and a better stabilization in the stationary position. The sliding half-door on the passenger side has an integrated folding staircase which makes the second stage area accessible from outside the vehicle. The passenger seat is transformed mechanically into stairs so that the second stage area (top level) can be easily reached from inside. A swivel cooking range makes it possible to cook outside as well as inside. And of course, there’s a multi-media computer with a wireless Internet connection.
Official EarthFirst Drooltime Hour. That thing is amazing. Oh, how I’d love to hop in this thing and take a driving tour of some of my favorite parts of the country, like New England and the Pacific Northwest. All those windows! Solar power! Of course, if you’re solidly in the middle class like me, buying this thing would mean permanently moving into it – it costs a cool $129,000. It’ll be available next year, and reservations are being taken now.
Check out this YouTube clip to see all the features:
VW’s Sleek ‘One-Liter Car’ Gets 235 Miles Per Gallon
July 12, 2008
This sexy looking vehicle might look like the future, but it’s going to be here sooner than you think. The best part is, it gets a stunning 235 miles per gallon. Yes, you read that right.
Volkswagen calls this baby the ‘One-Liter Car’, so named because that’s how much fuel it takes to get it 100 kilometers. It’s been on the back burner for six years now – the company’s been waiting for the material the body is made out of, carbon fiber, wasn’t expected to become affordable until 2012. Carbon fiber is a lightweight material that results in the entire car weighing only 660 pounds.
Well, lucky for car porn enthusiasts, VW has decided to start building a limited number of One-Liters in 2010 in their prototype shop, which will allow them to build about 1,000 a year to start.
From Wired’s Autopia:
VW unveiled the slick two-seater concept six years ago at a stockholder’s meeting in Hamburg. To prove it was a real car, Chairman Ferdinand Piech personally drove it from Wolfsburg to Hamburg. At the time, he said the car could see production when the cost of its carbon monocoque dropped from 35,000 Euros (about $55,000) to 5,000 Euros (about $8,000) — something he figured would happen in 2012. With carbon fiber being used in everything from airliners to laptops these days, VW’s apparently decided the cost is competitive enough to build at least a few hundred One-Liters.
VW’s engineers — who spent three years developing the car — made extensive use of magnesium, titanium and aluminum to bring it in at less than one-third the weight of a Toyota Echo. According to Canadian Driver, the front suspension assembly weighs just 18 pounds. The six-speed transmission features a magnesium case, titanium bolts and hollow gears; it weighs a tad more than 50 pounds. The 16-inch wheels are carbon fiber.
The magnesium steering wheel weighs a little more than a pound. How much of the concept car’s exotic hardware makes it to the production model remains to be seen.
Drool. The future of green cars is looking very nice. VW has really thought of every last detail with the One-Liter, which is incredibly aerodynamic and energy-efficient. Get all of the details at Wired’s Autopia blog.
Link [Wired]
Photo credit: Volkswagen
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