The 2014 Design of the year awards are to take place in the London Design Museum and the exhibits will be on show until 25 August.
The Volkswagen XL1 has been picked to represent the transportation segment along with the Toyota ME.WE.
The XL1 is a hybrid car which was built to beat the limits of fuel efficiency while being capable of running as a road capable car.
The XL1 takes fuel efficiency to the maximum, with a capability of 313mpg. When the Volkswagen team led by Head of Design Klaus Bischoff set out on this project, they were aiming to build a car that was capable of 100km on 1 litre of fuel. This is equivalent to 282mpg, which you can see they achieved with the above figures.
Part of the major success of the XL1 being able to achieve this result is the aerodynamics of the car. This includes no side mirrors, instead with small cameras which can be viewed on a small screen on the dashboard. The rear wheels are also covered and it has a tear drop body shape for maximum efficiency. This aerodynamic design means the car is capable of 60mph using only 8bhp.
The car has an 800cc diesel engine combined with a small electric motor, making it a economic hybrid. This combination means the car has 80bhp, CO2 emissions of 21g/km and uses a 7-speed triple clutch transmission.
Do you think the XL1 can win the 2014 Design of the year award? Share your thoughts in our comments box below.
Have a look at the video review below for the Volkswagen XL1:
