Sleek new Volkswagen Mission Efficiency unveiled: XL1 successor with 500-mile range
The Mission Efficiency is shaped by aerodynamics but has enough space for a family – and could be heading to showrooms with a £42k price tag
The Volkswagen XL1 may have looked like a land speed record breaker, but its brief was far more serious – to maximise efficiency. Now, almost 25 years on from the unveiling of the original prototype, VW is once again looking to make the world’s most economical car with the aptly named Mission Efficiency.
Our first look at the Volkswagen Mission Efficiency comes in one of Vienna Airport’s many car parks, and sat alongside it is the production XL1 from 2013. Immediately the similarities in design shaped by the ever-present laws of aerodynamics are clear, although there’s one major difference.
The XL1 came from a time when diesel ruled the world in terms of efficiency, with a two-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine (essentially half of the commonly used 1.6-litre TDI found in many VW products of the time). Despite the inclusion of a small electric motor, power stood at just 40bhp, but then it was able to return over 300mpg. The Mission Efficiency however, is all-electric.
Volkswagen Mission Efficiency: technical details and breaking records
Sitting on the same basic MEB Entry underpinnings as the new ID. Polo, the Mission Efficiency electric car gets the same 134bhp electric motor and the same battery. Well, sort of, but because the Mission Efficiency doesn’t need the sort of battery longevity required by the ID. Polo, VW can expand the usable content from 52kWh to 54.9kWh. However, it’s the same chemistry and pack as you’d get in the electric supermini.
Despite the fairly humble platform, the Mission Efficiency can return 8.4 miles per kWh and a maximum range of 406 miles. To put that into perspective, the ID. Polo, with its 52kWh battery, returns 4.5 miles per kWh and up to 281 miles of range. VW experts also told us that under certain conditions, the Mission Efficiency could even crack 500 miles on a run.
VW has already put the Mission Efficiency to the test on public roads, driving from Wolfsburg to Vienna via Poznan, a 794-mile journey, charging just once in that time with 101 miles of range left over at the end. By delivering average efficiency of 8.2 miles per kWh during the trip, the Mission Efficiency set a world record for the most economical ‘near-production’ electric vehicle ever built.
To achieve this level of efficiency, the car has been thoroughly tweaked over its ID. Polo technical underpinnings. The wheelbase is 100mm longer than that of the ID. Polo and the rear track has narrowed by 170mm to create that teardrop shape – just like the original XL1.
Helping the Mission Efficiency cut through the air as cleanly as possible, the front end is extremely low and smooth with three active slats in the lower bumper that can open asymmetrically. VW representatives told us that digital wing mirrors had been considered to lower drag even further, but conventional mirrors were retained to give the car a closer production feel. Of course, the rear-wheel covers (like the XL1’s), sloping roofline and clean surfacing all aid the aerodynamic efficiency.
In total the Mission Efficiency’s drag coefficient stands at 0.158. That’s an incredibly low figure when compared to the most aero efficient cars on sale, such as the Mercedes EQS at 0.19 or the Tesla Model 3 at 0.23. Even the ultra-sleek XL1 only had a drag coefficient of 0.19.
VW didn’t give us a kerbweight for the Mission Efficiency, but it has taken steps to slim it down from the ID. Polo’s rather portly 1.576kg figure. The front wings, doors, bonnet and bootlid are made from carbon fibre reinforced plastic, while most of the underlying structure from the A-pillar backwards is aluminium.
Volkswagen Mission Efficiency: interior and practicality
Opening up the Mission Efficiency from the flush-fitting door handles, the first thing that strikes us is that it’s a 2+2, unlike the XL1 which was a mere two-seater. Despite the focus on efficiency, it’s surprisingly practical. There’s plenty of space inside for a family, with a double-bubble roof aiding headroom, and even though there’s a huge 481-litre boot (thanks to the compact torsion beam rear), pop open the wheel covers and you get a 16-litre storage cubby on one side and space for charging cables on the other.
The cabin is a very simple affair, however. There’s the same steering wheel as on the ID. Polo, a smaller driver’s display taken from older VW models and instead of a proper touchscreen, there’s a movable tablet from a third-party manufacturer. To reduce weight, there are no electric controls on the doors and the bespoke seats made from recycled material are only adjusted manually. There’s also no sound system, with audio coming from a Bluetooth speaker instead.
Volkswagen Mission Efficiency: production and pricing
Despite the simplicity and some questionable finishes to the window surrounds and plastics, the Mission Efficiency doesn’t appear too far away from being production ready. Stefan Voswinkel, Head of Product Communications, told Auto Express that discussions are ongoing about turning the Mission Efficiency into a car that can actually be bought.
He confirmed: “We’re still looking at making this into a production vehicle.” Asked about potential pricing on the Mission Efficiency should it come to market, Voswinkel said that we could expect a price tag of around 50,000 euros (roughly £42,000).
Kai Grunitz, head of development at the Volkswagen Group added: “Our team has impressively demonstrated that you can build the most efficient car in the world with affordable large-scale production technology.”
Considering the original XL1 was limited to just 250 units at almost £100,000 a pop, there’s plenty to interest efficiency enthusiasts if the Mission Efficiency comes to market – although as things stand, that remains a big ‘if’.
The new Volkswagen ID. Polo may have only just arrived in the UK, but go to the Auto Express Find A Car service and you can enjoy an average saving of over £2,000 on VW’s new electric supermini.
