Key facts
- Volkswagen unveiled a prototype electric vehicle Monday achieving 323 miles per gallon equivalent.
- The Mission Efficiency prototype completed a 794-mile trip from Germany to Vienna on one charge.
- The vehicle uses the electric motor and battery from the ID. Polo.
- It features a Kammback shape with a coefficient of drag of 0.158.
- The prototype lacks an infotainment system and built-in speakers, similar to Slate Auto's EV pickup.
Volkswagen took the covers off a new prototype electric vehicle Monday, one that’s capable of hitting the equivalent of 323 miles per gallon under ideal conditions, making it one of the most efficient cars in the world. The automaker built the Mission Efficiency prototype and drove it from its home base in Wolfsburg, Germany, on a 794-mile trip to Vienna. The team charged the prototype once during the journey and arrived with 104 miles of range left, resulting in consumption of 7.51 kilowatt-hours per 100 miles, or about 279 MPGe.
The teardrop-shaped Mission Efficiency prototype was built using the electric motor and battery from the ID. Polo, two features that bring the car to “near production” status, Volkswagen said in a press release. The prototype is almost twice as efficient as the most efficient production car in the world, the Lucid Air Pure.
Volkswagen made compromises for efficiency, including a quickly tapering roofline known as a Kammback, which helped reduce the coefficient of drag to 0.158 while keeping the frontal area low at 2.08 square meters. As a 2+2, the rear seats are suitable for children or individuals shorter than 5 feet 3 inches. The design also tightened the space between wheel arches and front tires to reduce aerodynamic drag from the wheels and tires.
Clever touches include a storage bin hidden behind the rear wheel cover. Solar cells on the roof and trunk lid add an estimated 18 miles of range on perfectly flat, sunny routes driven at a constant 42.25 mph. Inside, seats use lightweight materials, and the dash omits an infotainment system and speakers, with drivers expected to use their own devices, a feature borrowed from EV startup Slate Auto.