A solution to the fuel disputes?
Against the background of Europe's fuel problems, progress in a joint research project with European Commission funding has led car manufacturer Volkswagen to announce that it will produce a car, the Lupo, able to travel 100km on just one litre of diesel by early 2004. The project, 'Technologies for carbon fibre reinforced, modular, automotive structures'(Tecabs) which was launched in April, will cost 5.26 million euro. Work is focusing on light-weight materials and is carried out by the EU's research programme for Competitive and Sustainable Growth, part of the Fifth Framework programme. Research will enable the use of low-cost carbon composites, reducing the vehicle's weight by around 40%, and so leading to more economical fuel consumption and reducing CO2 emissions dramatically. Then, by using complex multifunctional parts and innovative joining technologies, the number of parts used to build a car can be reduced to just 30% of the 200 or more parts needed today. Fuel efficiency could be improved still further through the use of fuel-cell powered vehicles, another area of EU research.