VW NILS Concept
Volkswagen 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
2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. This concept car - which features an
aluminium space frame, wing doors and free-standing wheels - has the
dynamic performance of a sports car, yet travels silently, and with zero
emissions.
The NILS project is supported by
the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban
Development, and is designed to be both technically realistic and
economically supportable.
'NILS anticipates the future.
The goal of the NILS project is to research a technically realistic and
economically feasible concept for a minimalist commuter vehicle that
makes individual transportation more efficient and eco-friendly thanks
to its electric drive,' said Prof. Dr. Jürgen Leohold, Head of
Volkswagen Group Research.
Commenting from the strategic
perspective is Dr. Rudolf Krebs, Group Chief Officer for Electric
Traction: 'In terms of the Volkswagen Group's roadmap for electric
mobility, these forward-thinking vehicle concepts play an especially
important role. That is because the breakthrough of electric mobility
will lead to new vehicle requirements - many of which are oriented
towards very specific target groups. In advancing electric mobility to
high-volume production, it is not enough to simply electrify existing
vehicle models.'
With a range of 65 kilometres
(40 miles) and a top speed of 130 km/h (80 mph) Volkswagen NILS would be
the ideal vehicle for the majority of commuters in Germany. According
to the German Bureau of Statistics, 73.9 per cent of all commuters
residing between Berlin and Munich cover less than 25 kilometres (15.5
miles) on their way to work.
Cars have always been mirrors of
their times - their design styles and technological standards
reflecting a particular era - and NILS is no different. It uses
emissions-reducing electric drive technology to fulfil the specific
requirements of commuters. In Germany, for example, about 60 per cent of
all commuters travel by car, according to the Federal Bureau of
Statistics; of these over 90 per cent travel alone. Zero-emissions
vehicles like NILS will offer these frequent drivers a new eco-friendly
mobility solution.
Volkswagen NILS is a very
compact car that requires extremely little space in traffic. It is only
3.04 metres long - making it about 50 cm shorter than the new
Volkswagen up! - just 0.39 metres wide from wheel to wheel, and a mere
1.2 metres tall.
Volkswagen NILS has the same
basic layout as a Formula 1 race car, with the driver in the middle, the
engine in back, and free-standing outboard wheels. The 17-inch alloy
wheels are equipped with 115/80 (front) and 125/80 (rear) tyres
optimised for low rolling resistance.
Though its inspiration may come
from Formula 1, the styling has its origins at the Volkswagen Design
Centre in Potsdam, Berlin. Designer Thomas Ingenlath, the centre's
director, said: 'NILS was designed to make a visual statement and
transport a vision of the automotive future to the present. I am
especially pleased that we managed to implement the concept of the two
glass wing doors. This allowed us to create large transparent surfaces
and simultaneously to make entering and exiting the vehicle very
comfortable, even in the most cramped of parking spaces.'
Because Volkswagen NILS is so
compact and lightweight (460 kg), it is a lot of fun to drive. It has a
top speed of 130 km/h, and can accelerate to 100 km/h in less than 11
seconds. This is achieved using an electric motor with a reasonably
small 15 kW nominal power and short-term peak power of 25 kW. A
lithium-ion battery supplies the electric motor with energy. The battery
capacity (5.3 kWh) enables driving ranges of up to 65 km, depending on
the style of driving. A battery of this size is relatively
inexpensive, and can be charged either via a conventional 230-volt
electrical outlet (maximum charging time two hours) or at an electric
vehicle charging station. The socket is located at the back underneath
the rear lighting module.
The centrepiece of the electric
drive system is the lightweight 19 kg electric motor together with its
transmission and battery. Energy management is via a high-voltage pulse
inverter, which - together with the 12-Volt DC/DC converter for the
vehicle electrical system and the charger - forms an integral drive
unit. All drive unit components are located compactly in an aluminium
housing at the rear of NILS; drive is to the rear wheels.
The motor, battery and all other
components are so compact that there is still space for a small but
practical bootspace. The body-coloured area above the rear lighting
module swings upward, revealing space suitable for items such as a case
of drinks and a bag.
Optimal weight distribution
helps to ensure that Volkswagen NILS allows drivers not only to commute
with zero emissions, but also to have fun while doing so. The
lightweight NILS drives like a go-kart. The steering is purely
mechanical (the low weight means power assistance is unnecessary), while
the electric motor produces its maximum torque of 130 Nm from
standstill, via a one-speed transmission. Suspension is by double
wishbones front and rear; while ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme)
helps to tame any over-exuberance on the part of the driver.
Safety is of course even more
important than fun, and NILS is fitted with an automatic distance
control system. This uses radar sensors to scan the space in front of
the vehicle over a distance of about 200 metres and uses brake
interventions to ensure that the distance to vehicles in traffic in
front of the car does not drop below a specified minimum value. The
system can even automatically brake the car to a stop, depending on the
situation. Not only are the four disc brakes used to brake; electric
traction by electric motor and battery regeneration can be used to brake
as well. Last but not least, Front Assist is integrated in the
automatic distance control system. This continually active system warns
the driver of a potential collision; at speeds below 30 km/h (18 mph),
automatic braking can avoid a collision under some circumstances.
The instrument cluster is a
seven-inch TFT display. The vehicle's speed is shown digitally in the
middle, while energy flow is represented by bars. Another graphic
display offers information on the driving range. The second central
instrument is a mobile multifunctional device like the one used in the
new up!: the Portable Infotainment Device (PID). It is snapped into
theA-pillar to the right of the instrument cluster. Via touchscreen, the
driver controls functions related to Navigation, Radio, Media,
Telephone, Trip computer and - to preconfigure the driving range - 'Eco.
The PID computes the expected driving range, then it not only displays
the route on the map display, but also the radius and thereby the
destinations that can be reached using the current battery charge.
To save on weight and costs,
certain functional elements and controls do without electrical
assistance. The side mirrors, for example, are adjusted manually. The
heating and ventilation system has full electronic control, and there is
seat heating. Located to the right of the steering column is the motor
start-stop switch; this round switch is also used to select D, N or R.
The aluminium space frame body
was designed to be a highly effective safety cell. The body in white is
produced from extruded aluminium, cast aluminium and sheet aluminium.
The roof frame together with the door mounts, a roll bar, the bootspace
and the front bulkhead consist of high-strength sheet aluminium.
Extruded aluminium is used in the side sills, the transverse profiles
and the front and rear car sections. The front and rear side body are
aluminium. Parts made of high-strength plastic include the bumpers and
the trim panels on the side sills.
The frames of the wing doors
consist of three main elements: an inner section, a crash reinforcement
section and an exterior part. When closed, they offer optimal crash
safety. The door windows are made of lightweight, scratch-resistant,
layered polycarbonate, while the front window is made of laminated
safety glass.
The headlights are striking
bi-xenon modules, while the indicator lights and daytime running lights
are white and yellow LEDs. In the acrylic glass of the rear lights -
integrated in the rear section like small wings - the light generated by
LEDs is routed via transparent semiconductors which (appropriately for
an electric vehicle) consume minimal amounts of power.
