The Volkswagen Mission Efficiency lived up to its name.
The ultra-streamlined electric vehicle concept was inspired by the automaker’s own landmark XL1 hybrid from 2013, which achieved a fuel efficiency rating equivalent to 261 miles per gallon.
Unlike the limited edition $146,000 XL1 science project, the Mission Efficiency was built with mass production intent using parts from the $30,000 VW ID. Polo subcompact electric car. It has a 133 mph front-drive setup and 54.9 kWh battery. It’s based on the Polo’s chassis, but has a lightweight composite body and aluminum frame. It seats four in a 2+2 configuration and has a 17 cubic-foot trunk.
While the teardrop body resembles the XL1’s, Volkswagen reduced the drag coefficient from .189 to .158. That is a significant drop and lower than the Tesla Cybercab’s approximate .19 drag coefficient that helped it become the most efficient vehicle currently on the road with a 6.1 miles per kilowatt-hour rating.
Volkswagen said the Mission Efficiency is rated at 7.38 miles per KWh on the European testing cycle, which would convert to around 6.3-6.6 miles per kWh using the EPA test cycle.
However, it also achieved 9.6 miles per kWh on a flat road at a 42 mph average speed, while it also returned 9 miles per kWh on a real world 745 mile trip from Wolfsburg, Germany to Vienna, Austria that also averaged 42 mph, but reached speeds up to 85 mph along the way.
The Mission Efficiency also solar cells on the roof that can provide up to 18 miles-worth of electricity per day under ideal conditions. Like the Cybercab, it uses electromechanical brakes operated by wire, but only at the rear, while the front brakes have a traditional hydraulic setup.
Volkswagen hasn’t announced plans to put the Mission Efficiency on sale, but, unlike the XL1, it is equipped with conventional side view mirrors, rather than cameras, and that production is a “possibility never completely ruled out.”
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