Volkswagen’s crazy-efficient EV borrows an idea from Slate
Crono ·
- VW unveiled the Mission Efficiency, a near-production EV prototype, on 14 September 2026 — concept only, not for sale
- Drag coefficient of 0.158, which VW claims is a record for a road-legal car
- Real-world test drive from Wolfsburg to Vienna, 1,278 km, averaging 7.51 kWh/100 km including charging losses, with only one charging stop
- Built on the same MEB+ front-wheel-drive platform as the ID. Polo and ID. Cross, using the standard 99 kW motor and a 54.9 kWh battery rather than bespoke parts
- Above 80 km/h it uses over 30% less energy than a standard ID. Polo
- Teardrop body with clad rear wheels, fully clad underbody, frameless windows and patented rim deflectors that keep air out of the wheels
- 370 W of solar cells in the roof and boot lid, worth up to 30 km of extra range per day
- Electromechanical rear brakes, a first for VW, plus a Continental concept tyre roughly 25% below the EU's best rolling-resistance class
- Stripped interior: no infotainment screen (you bring your own phone or tablet) and no speaker system
- 2+2 coupé, 4,775 mm long, 481 litre boot, and VW positions it as a spiritual successor to the XL1
