2011 Volkswagen Electric NILS Concept Debuts at Frankfurt Motor Show

Volkswagen has unveiled the NILS Concept, a single-seat EV made for urban mobility. VW says the NILS has the same basic layout as a Formula One car - namely, that it comes with a single centrally-mounted seat and has open wheels - but its specs resemble those of a motorbike.

The NILS measures 3.04 meters long (119.7 inches), 1.2 meters (47.2 inches) tall but is just 0.39 meter (15.4 inches) wide. The EV is made from an aluminum space-frame and has winged doors. The EV comes with an electric motor with a nominal output of just 15 kW (20 PS / 20 bhp) and a short-term peak output of 25 kW (34 PS / 34 bhp). The electric motor weighs just 19 kg (42 lbs) and the car has a total curb weight of just 460 kg (1,014 lbs).

That low weight figure helps the car achieve a top speed of 130 km/h (80 mph) which it reaches from a standing start in less than 11 seconds. The NILS has a range of up to 65 km (40 miles) on its 5.3 kWh battery-pack which takes no more than two hours to fully charge from a 230 V outlet. The VW NILS concept will make its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.