Volkswagen’s slippery new EV breaks a bunch of efficiency records

Mission Efficiency has a drag coefficient of just 0.158, making it the most aerodynamic road-approved vehicle in the world.

No, that’s not a Tesla Cybercab. That’s Volkswagen’s Mission Efficiency , the world’s slipperiest electric vehicle. The near-production 2+2 seat electric coupe prototype was built on VW’s MEB+ platform, incorporating front-wheel drive components from the upcoming ID. Polo and ID. Cross models.

True to its name, the mission of Mission Efficiency is to break records. With a drag coefficient of a scant 0.158, the prototype claims to be the world’s most aerodynamic road-approved vehicle. It also claims to have broken the record for energy efficiency, consuming 6.48kWh of energy per 100 kilometers during a constant-speed (68 km/h) test-drive on flat terrain with secondary features like AC deactivated. And lastly, the Mission Efficiency is “the most economical near-production electric car in its class” thanks to its platform sharing with the ID. Polo.

What does all this mean in practical terms? Well, think vast distances traveled with little thought paid to charging stops. Volkswagen recently completed a real-world 1,278.36 km (794.34 miles) trip from Wolfsburg to Vienna on a single charge of Mission Efficiency’s 54.9 kWh (net) battery. The EV used only 6.89 kWh/100 km (7.51 kWh/100 km including charging losses) at an average speed of 67.72 km/h — and still arrived at its destination with 164 km of range remaining.

Given the prototype’s teardrop shape and wheel coverings, it’s not difficult to imagine the Mission Efficiency breaking all of these record. This won’t win any design awards nor cause any stampedes at your local VW dealership. This was designed to slide through air molecules with barely a disturbance. The underbody is covered, the windows frameless, and the door handles flush.