Volkswagen’s Mission Efficiency prototype has set three efficiency records, including a drag coefficient of 0.158 and average consumption of 6.89 kWh/100 km (about 11.1 kWh/100 miles) on a 794-mile (1,278.36 km) road trip from Wolfsburg to Vienna. The company describes the Mission Efficiency as the most efficient near-production electric car in the world, built from production components shared with the ID. Polo and ID. Cross rather than specialist hardware. The records were certified in the Record Institute Germany’s category for near-production, everyday-usable four-seat electric vehicles, according to Volkswagen.
Highlights
- 0.158 Cd: Volkswagen reports a new drag-coefficient record for road-approved cars, paired with a frontal area of 22.4 sq ft (2.08 m²).
- 6.48 kWh/100 km ideal-trip consumption: Recorded at a constant 42 mph (68 km/h) with no gradients and auxiliary consumers switched off.
- 7.51 kWh/100 km real-world consumption: Achieved on the Wolfsburg–Vienna run including charging losses, with a single charge of the 54.9 kWh (net) battery.
- 370 W solar roof: Photovoltaic cells in the glass roof and trunk lid feed the 12-volt system and, the company says, can add up to 18.6 miles (30 km) of range per day.
Three Records From One Prototype
The first record is aerodynamic: a drag coefficient of 0.158, which Volkswagen says is a new mark for road-approved cars. The second is consumption on what the company calls an “ideal trip” — 6.48 kWh/100 km (about 10.4 kWh/100 miles) at a constant 42 mph (68 km/h), with no climbs and peripheral consumers such as the air conditioning switched off. The third combines those aerodynamics with the ID. Polo’s electric drive to make the Mission Efficiency the most economical near-production electric car in its class, according to the company.
The real-world test was an officially documented drive of 794.3 miles (1,278.36 km) from Volkswagen’s development center in Wolfsburg via Poznań, Poland, and Olomouc, Czech Republic, to Vienna. The company reports consumption of 7.51 kWh/100 km (about 12.1 kWh/100 miles) including charging losses, or 6.89 kWh/100 km without them. The car averaged 42.1 mph (67.72 km/h) with a top speed of 85.7 mph (138 km/h), charged the 54.9 kWh (net) battery once, and arrived in Vienna with 101.9 miles (164.0 km) of remaining range.
Built on ID. Polo Production Hardware
Volkswagen positions the vehicle as a demonstration of what its high-volume MEB+ front-wheel-drive platform can do. The 99 kW (135 PS, about 133 hp) electric motor and the high-voltage battery come directly from the ID. Polo, and the front end shares its design language with the ID. Polo and ID. Cross.
Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, Head of the Brand Group Core and member of the Group Board of Management, said: “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 with front-wheel drive. This shows how much potential efficiency we can add to the latest generation of our electric cars. Developed in Wolfsburg and built by Kai Grünitz and his team, the Mission Efficiency is a symbol of German engineering expertise with clear customer benefits.”
Kai Grünitz, Board Member for Technical Development, Volkswagen Brand and Brand Group Core, said: “The new Mission Efficiency impressively demonstrates the incredible potential of the drive system in our new ID. Polo. Developed for all models based on MEB+ with front-wheel drive, the system is extremely light, very efficient and thus the ideal drive system for our record-breaking vehicle. The Wolfsburg team behind the Mission Efficiency has achieved something outstanding: on the one hand, the crew has proved that Volkswagen is one of the world’s leading manufacturers in the area of aerodynamics. On the other hand, they are also showing that you can build the most efficient car in the world using affordable, large-scale production technology.”
How Does Aerodynamics Cut EV Consumption?
The low air resistance comes from the combination of the 0.158 drag coefficient and the 22.4 sq ft (2.08 m²) frontal area. Volkswagen lists the contributing features as a flow-optimized teardrop body, active cooling-air flaps, clad rear wheels, a fully clad underbody, frameless door windows, and door handles integrated into the outer skin.
The company says the payoff grows with speed. Above 50 mph (80 km/h), consumption is more than 30 percent lower than a standard ID. Polo; at 87 mph (140 km/h), the Mission Efficiency uses roughly the energy an ID. Polo needs at 62 mph (100 km/h).
Andreas Mindt, Chief Designer at Volkswagen, said: “With its front end, the Mission Efficiency slots into our new family of electric vehicles, which also includes the ID. Polo and ID. Cross. The shape of the body itself is committed fully to functionality and thus the laws of aerodynamics. This has resulted in a state-of-the-art, efficient sports car in which the DNA of the legendary Volkswagen XL1 shines through.” The XL1, a plug-in hybrid presented in 2013, was the most economical production car in the world at that time, according to Volkswagen.
Body and Packaging
The coupe measures 188.0 in (4,775 mm) long and 54.8 in (1,392 mm) tall, seats 2+2, and offers 17.0 cu ft (481 liters) of luggage capacity, plus additional stowage under the rear seats and in the body sides. The front cabin is unrestricted; the two rear seats are intended for passengers up to roughly 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) tall. Volkswagen says the prototype was designed so it could theoretically serve a young family of four. The body pairs ID. Polo components with a self-supporting aluminum structure and parts made from high-strength carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and aramid composite.
Wheels and Tires
Volkswagen attributes 25 to 30 percent of aerodynamic resistance to the wheels. The front wheel arches are placed closely around the tire radius to reduce turbulence, and new patented rim deflectors on the inside of every wheel keep air from entering the rims. Flat, flow-optimized hubcaps handle the visible outer surface.
Working with Continental, Volkswagen developed a concept tire based on the EcoContact 7 with a rolling resistance of 4.9 kg per metric ton — about 25 percent below the threshold for the EU’s best tire label class A, according to the company. The sidewall and tread compound were tuned to minimize rolling energy losses.
Electromechanical Rear Brake
At the front, the Mission Efficiency uses the ID. Polo’s MacPherson strut axle and hydraulic brake. At the rear, Volkswagen is using an electromechanical brake for the first time, which the company says reduces friction losses, eliminates lines and brake fluid, and supports variable brake-force distribution — improving recuperation and cornering stability. The brake was developed with AUMOVIO, which also supplies the ID. Polo’s brake system. The prototype holds EU road approval and meets the corresponding safety, strength, and crash requirements, according to Volkswagen.
Solar Roof and Stripped-Down Interior
A 370 W photovoltaic system in the glass roof and trunk lid supplies the on-board electrical system’s consumers. Depending on season, region, and weather, Volkswagen says it can extend real range by up to 18.6 miles (30 km) per day. Inside, lightweight paneling, a portable Bluetooth speaker in place of a built-in audio system, and a “bring your own device” concept — a smartphone or tablet replacing the infotainment display — cut weight. The record-setting run is documented in a video on the Volkswagen newsroom.
