automotivebriefs
10:16in productionCh. 1 · From concept to customer/ 10:16 · ceiling 15 min
Microcars

Volkswagen 1-litre car

Volkswagen Design · 2013

A diesel-electric microcar that drinks less than a litre per 100 km—and proves efficiency need not mean compromise on road legality or build quality.

The Volkswagen XL1 is a two-seat, diesel-electric plug-in hybrid built to prove that extreme efficiency belongs on the road—not just in labs. It uses lightweight materials, a streamlined body, and an economy-optimised powertrain to achieve 0.9 L/100 km under NEDC when charged. Only 250 were made. It sells only in Europe. It starts at €111,000. Retail deliveries began in Germany in June 2014.

MicrocarsEngineeringSustainabilityMaterialsEngineering across the network →
Chapters & takeaways4
  1. 0:39
    From concept to customer

    It began as a 2002 concept driven by Ferdinand Piëch—and ended as a real, road-legal car sold in Europe.

  2. 2:23
    How it achieves 1 litre/100 km

    Lightweight materials, a 0.186 drag coefficient, and a 5.5 kWh battery deliver 50 km electric range and 0.9 L/100 km fuel use.

  3. 4:36
    Limited, late, and local

    Only 250 units were built between mid-2013 and mid-2014, all delivered in Germany starting June 2014.

  4. 5:48
    Two numbers, one mission

    With a charged battery, it travels 100 km on 1 litre of diesel. Without electricity, it uses 2 litres for the same distance.

Worth your time?

Yes. Drive the whole thing.

4/ 5
What works
  • aerodynamics
  • weight control
  • packaging
  • regulatory compliance
What does not
  • accelerates briskly
  • offers rear visibility
  • seats more than two
  • sells outside Europe
Drive it if
  • engineers
  • efficiency obsessives
  • collectors who value technical extremity
Skip it if
  • families
  • daily commuters
  • anyone priced out by €111,000
The written brief1 min read

What the car is and where it came from

The Volkswagen 1-litre car is the XL1—a limited-production, two-seat, diesel-electric plug-in hybrid developed by Volkswagen Design. It emerged from three generations of prototypes (2002 concept, 2009 L1, 2011 XL1) and entered retail delivery in Germany in June 2014.

How it works, in terms someone would actually use

It runs on diesel and electricity. Plug it in for 50 km of silent, zero-emission driving. Use diesel alone and it uses 2 litres per 100 km. With a full battery and diesel, it uses 0.9 litre per 100 km.

What it gets right

It gets aerodynamics right: drag coefficient of 0.186–0.189. It gets weight right: 795 kg curb weight. It gets packaging right: tandem seating, carbon-fibre monocoque, streamlined body.

What it does not

It does not offer rear visibility. It does not seat more than two. It does not accelerate briskly. It does not sell outside Europe.

What it changed

It proved a production car could meet sub-1-litre/100 km targets without sacrificing drivability or regulatory compliance.

Who it is for, and who it is not

It is for engineers, efficiency obsessives, and collectors who value technical extremity over utility. It is not for families, daily commuters, or anyone priced out by €111,000.

Is it worth your time

Yes—if you need proof that ultra-efficiency can be packaged into a road-legal, two-seat machine. No—if you need space, speed, or affordability.

Same garage · Microcars4 of 24
9:25
Audi A2Luc Donckerwolke · 1999The Audi A2 is a compact MPV-styled supermini produced by Audi from November 1999 to August 2005. Luc Donckerwolke designed both its 1997 Al2 concept and production form. It uses aluminium spaceframe construction, resulting in an average weight of 830 kg and class-leading efficiency — including the 3L diesel variant, Europe’s first five-door under-3 L/100 km. Built on a dedicated aluminium line in Neckarsulm, it featured advanced aerodynamics (Cd 0.25–0.29), a service hatch, and start-stop. Despite innovation and praise for design, it incurred €7,530 loss per unit and sold only 176,377 examples before discontinuation.
10:20
BMW i3 (hatchback)Richard Kim · 2013The BMW i3 (hatchback) is BMW’s first mass-produced zero-emissions vehicle. Styled by Richard Kim, it uses a carbon-fibre reinforced polymer passenger module on an aluminium chassis. It is rear-wheel drive. It has four doors, including rear clamshell doors. It debuted as a concept in 2011 and entered production in 2013. It was the first mass production car with most of its internal structure and body made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic. It won the 2014 World Green Car and World Car Design of the Year awards.
8:21
Citroën MéhariJean-Louis Barrault · 1968The Citroën Méhari is a lightweight recreational and utility vehicle made by Citroën from 1968 to 1988. It was designed by Roland de la Poype. It used the Dyane 6 chassis and a 602 cc flat twin engine. It was named after a fast-running dromedary camel.
9:37
Honda S500Honda · 1963The Honda S500 is Honda’s first passenger automobile and first production sports car. Launched in October 1963, it followed the T360 truck by four months. It used a 531 cc DOHC straight-4 engine producing 44 hp at 8000 rpm, a four-speed manual transmission, and four-wheel independent suspension with chain-driven rear wheels. It exceeded kei car regulations in dimensions and displacement. 1,363 units were built between October 1963 and September 1964. It was priced at $1,275 in 1963.
Up next in Automotive

Volvo 480

John de Vries · 1986 · 8:58

Volvo’s first front-wheel drive car wasn’t a compromise — it was a declaration.

Play nextBack to Microcars
8:58