I’m always interested in economical transportation options so this article from Gas2.org caught my eye. It talks about a new Volkswagen new diesel-electric hybrid car — the Twin Up! — which will debut later this month at the LA Auto show. The Twin Up! is certainly not a muscle car, having a small 47 hp, 800 cc diesel engine and electric hybrid drivetrain, but it’s a 4 door passenger car that could be attractive to many drivers. It will take 15.7 seconds to reach 62 mph, but can get to 37 mph in 8.8 seconds. Volkswagen claims that the car will yield a fuel consumption of 256.8 mpg (UK gallons — US equivalent = 214 mpg)
Personally, I’m much more interested in how economical car is, rather than how much get-up-and-go it has, or how attractive it looks. If I can get from point A to point B in reasonable comfort and safety, I am interested. Transportation costs are some of the biggest expenses that many households face, and fuel economy is important to many drivers these days. Of course, the price of the vehicle will play a large part in how economical a choice it is, and I can’t find any reference to how much the Twin Up! will sell for.
While we look at LENR as a possible energy source for transportation here, it’s likely to quite a while before anyone will be able to buy an LENR-powered car. Technologies like this one could play an important role in transportation for some time to come.
