Frankfurt 2011: Volkswagen NILS Concept

[News Bot]

NILS, a single-seat electric concept vehicle that offers a glimpse of a new form of minimalist mobility, has been unveiled ahead of its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month. This concept car – which features an aluminium space frame, wing doors and free-standing wheels – has the dynamic performance of a [...]

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[PassatB6]

Interesting enough, but 65km before the battery runs down just doesn't cut it for me.

[phaeton]

Interesting enough, but 65km before the battery runs down just doesn't cut it for me.

I agree - would not work in Australia unless your in suburbia.

[The_Hawk]

I agree ... and don't.

Depending on how well the battery lasts, especially in stop/start peak hour traffic, I could just about get to work which is a 1 hour train ride away or ~50km. With only a 2 hour full charge time too, it's very possible to charge it up at work (assuming there was facilities at the carpark) with plenty of time to spare.

I'm in SW Sydney and work in the city. From what I understand us Sydney people are considered mostly insane for travelling the distances/time we do and *most* are closer than me.

If I kept doing what I am currently doing and only driving to the local train station, it' only ~9km each way so I could go there and back for half the week on a single charge, although I would likely charge it every night anyway.

For the flipside though. That's not nearly far enough for a real vehicle, you couldn't drive interstate, you can't carry passengers, you (probably) couldn't fit in the families full grocery shopping. It really is a toy car.

For it to sell to me it would need to be cheap enough (think motorbike cheap), but more importantly I would want the RTA and the insurance companies to come to the party too and offer *significantly* reduced costs. IE give me a $100/year add on to my current insurance which only covers ME to drive the electric car on the assumption I can't drive two vehicles at once and the real car will be used for the family/travel and the electric car will be used for commuting.

Bottom line, it's just too expensive to maintain a second car just for running to the station and back and these electric cars aren't practical enough the rest of the time.

[PassatB6]

VW has already picked the right way to go - Diesel. They stated some years ago that there is no way the world can cope with 600 million electric vehicles plugging into the grid because the extra energy requirements would need of a lot more new power stations and that isn't going to happen.

This is not a serious attempt at an electric vehicle. Its just an image booster.

[The_Hawk]

Diesel is great for distance driving, not so much for the short trips. The new TSI engines have stupidly good economy and with the cylinder shut off tech coming in it's only getting better. It really comes down to what/where/how you will be driving, but like I said, the new petrol models are almost motorbike engine in a car

[phaeton]

Diesels will become very expensive in the future as the future EU regs are getting tougher hence TSI.

Hydrogen is the answer but still a long long time away from having the proper support and infrastructure.