Volkswagen unveiled Mission Efficiency today as a near-production electric 2+2 coupe whose entire brief is to waste as little energy as possible. The car is a clear nod to the 2013 XL1, the plug-in hybrid teardrop that once held the title of the most economical production car on sale. This time the powertrain is fully electric, the platform is the same front-drive MEB+ hardware headed for the ID. Polo and ID. Cross, and the claim is a new record for any road-approved car: a drag coefficient of 0.158.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles put the ID. California Cruise on the floor at Düsseldorf’s Caravan Salon as the first battery-powered member of a name that has lived on diesel since 1988. Built on the ID. Buzz Pro, the van arrives in short and long wheelbases and keeps the familiar two-tone shape, adding only California lettering on the tailgate and Cruise graphics along the flanks. German pricing starts at €60,761, about $70,500, which undercuts the midsize diesel California Beach by a few thousand euros. First customer vans are due in early 2027, with more electric California variants promised by 2028.

Volkswagen arrived at the 2025 IAA Mobility show in Munich with three electric vehicles, each trying to carve out a piece of the EV pie. Among them, the ID. Cross Concept is the most interesting, a near-production preview of a subcompact SUV that will hit showrooms in 2026.

We have seen the future of compact EVs in Europe, and it includes the $22,000 Volkswagen ID. EVERY1. This model leverages a powerful new software architecture that enables lifelong updates and upgrades when it eventually goes into production.

Officially called the ‘Bug Zappa’, this VW Beetle may look normal, besides the large rear wing, at first, but it’s actually powered by two Tesla-sourced electric motors making 800 hp and 686 lb-ft of torque. Now the biggest question is if this EV is fast enough to take on a Porsche GT3 RS and Lamborghini Aventador SV in a drag racing showdown.