Volkswagen has demonstrated a new electric vehicle prototype capable of consuming just 7.51 kilowatt-hours per 100 miles, equivalent to roughly 279 MPGe, during a 794-mile journey from Wolfsburg, Germany, to Vienna. The Mission Efficiency prototype needed only one charging stop and arrived with another 104 miles of estimated range remaining.
Under ideal conditions, Volkswagen says the vehicle can achieve the equivalent of 323 miles per gallon, putting it among the most energy-efficient cars demonstrated to date. Unlike many efficiency concepts, Volkswagen built a functioning vehicle and completed the long-distance test on public roads.
Production Components Meet Extreme Aerodynamics
The Mission Efficiency uses the electric motor and battery from Volkswagen’s upcoming ID. Polo, leading the company to describe the prototype as “near production.” Based on its demonstrated efficiency, a 54.9-kWh battery could theoretically provide more than 400 miles of range, although the figure is not an official regulatory range rating.
Much of that efficiency comes from the car’s body. Its tapered Kammback shape helps reduce its drag coefficient to 0.158, while the frontal area measures just 2.08 square meters.
Those choices come with practical compromises. The car uses a 2+2 seating arrangement, with rear seats designed for passengers below roughly 1.6 meters tall, making them better suited to children than most adults.
Volkswagen also reduced gaps around the front wheel arches to limit aerodynamic losses from the wheels and tires. That improves efficiency but could restrict suspension movement compared with a conventional production vehicle.
Solar Panels Add Limited Extra Range
Volkswagen retained traditional side mirrors despite their aerodynamic penalty, saying cameras do not provide the same depth perception. Solar cells mounted across the roof and trunk can add around 18 miles of range under ideal sunlight while traveling at a steady 42.25 mph.
Weight reduction continues inside the cabin, where lightweight seats replace heavier conventional designs. Volkswagen has also removed a built-in infotainment system and speakers, instead providing a portable Bluetooth speaker and expecting occupants to use their own devices.
The company has not committed to putting the Mission Efficiency into production. Volkswagen has previously sold a similarly efficiency-focused vehicle, however, producing 250 examples of the XL1 after developing it as an experimental low-consumption car.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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