The Anti-Gas Guzzler

Model: L1 Concept
Maker: Volkswagen
Availability: 2013 (target)
Price: Not determined

Volkswagen's L1 concept car was designed to be "the most fuel-efficient automobile in the world." The full-hybrid vehicle has a carbon-fiber-reinforced body and weighs only 380 kilograms (838 lb.). It consumes just 1.38 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers—that's 170 mpg—and has CO2 emissions of 36 grams per kilometer. Its aerodynamic design gives it an unusual look. "It is an enormous challenge to control costs in producing the [model with a] carbon-fiber-reinforced body," says Ulrich Hackenberg, a member of VW's development team. But the company says it is "close to production readiness."