Volkswagen has claimed a new world record for the most efficient EV with its radical-looking Mission Efficiency.
Designed specifically to push the limits of aerodynamics and energy efficiency, the slippery two-door, 2+2 coupe also claimed a new record for aerodynamics and efficiency in a “near-road-ready” vehicle.
Driven on public roads between Volkswagen’s German development centre in Wolfsburg and the Austrian capital Vienna, the Mission Efficiency delivered energy consumption of 9.02m/kWh using the same platform and powertrain as the new ID. Polo.
The 794-mile route via Poznań in Poland and Olmütz was described as a so-called “ideal trip”, during which the speed remains constant, there are no uphill slopes and “peripheral consumers” such as the air conditioning system are deactivated. While the car reached a top speed of 83mph it averaged 42mph across the entire trip.
The Mission Efficiency achieved its most efficient EV title using the same 133bhp motor as mid-spec versions of the ID.Polo and a 54.9kWh battery. The battery pack is the same as the production Polo’s but VW has unlocked an extra 3kWh of usable capacity via software changes.
The Mission Efficiency completed its journey with just one charging stop and reached its destination with 77 miles of range left, giving it a real-world range of 448 miles. In comparison, the road-going ID. Polo has a maximum WLTP range of 283 miles and efficiency of up to 4.57m/kWh.
Delivering the record-breaking efficiency and also claiming a second record was the car’s radical teardrop design. Reminiscent of the diesel-powered XL1 from 2015, the Mission Efficiency’s slippery shape has a drag coefficient (cD) value of 0.158 – the lowest for any road-approved car.
The “flow-optimised teardrop” shape combined with a small frontal area, active air flaps, clad rear wheels and a fully clad underbody to deliver the super-slippery stats, along with specially designed wind deflectors inside the wheels, and bespoke low-resistance Continental tyres.
The Mission Efficiency also features roof-top solar panels to power auxiliary systems such as the air conditioning and, in ideal conditions, can boost range by up to 18.5 miles per day.
Beneath the radical-looking skin the Mission Efficiency is a 4.7m-long, 1.4m-tall 2+2 with a pared-back cabin for weight-saving. There’s no sound-system, just a removable Bluetooth speaker, and Volkswagen says the rear seats are only suitable for passengers under 5’ 3”. It does, however, have a generous 481-litre boot – bigger than the ID. Polo’s. While it’s only a prototype, VW claims the car has been designed so a young family could “theoretically” use it in the real world.
Thomas Schäfer, Volkswagen CEO, commented: “Mission Efficiency is the ideal way to demonstrate what distinguishes Volkswagen in the electric age: technology for the masses – not just for the few. Rather than using specialist technology, the vehicle set its three world records using affordable production technology from the ID. Polo and ID. Cross, based on the MEB+ platform. This shows how much potential efficiency we can add to the latest generation of our electric cars.”
