Tesla is expanding its industrial footprint around Austin with a new 538,720-square-foot distribution center. The project is expected to cost about $1.4 million and be completed by the end of 2028.

The project appears in a September filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. According to the filing, construction is scheduled to begin on December 7, with the project structured as a build-out inside an existing facility rather than a completely new building.

Tesla is expected to invest just over $1.4 million in the project.

Tesla Expands Beyond Gigafactory Texas

The new facility will further expand Tesla’s presence in the Austin region beyond its massive Gigafactory Texas operation. Tesla currently uses its Austin campus for vehicle production, technology development and other activities, making the surrounding industrial market increasingly important to the company.

The planned distribution center is particularly notable because of its enormous footprint. At more than half a million square feet, the facility could provide significant space for logistics, storage or other distribution-related operations.

The future Tesla distribution center will occupy a 538,720-square-foot building in Mustang Ridge, south of Austin.

The building is located in Mustang Ridge, south of Austin, and Tesla is expected to use an existing office and warehouse structure rather than constructing an entirely new facility. Recent local reporting identified the property as the Mustang Ridge Distribution Center.

That approach can significantly reduce the time and cost required to bring a large industrial facility into operation.

A Huge Facility With a Relatively Small Construction Budget

At first glance, the reported investment looks surprisingly small compared with the size of the facility.

Tesla is expected to spend around $1.4 million on the project, despite the building covering more than 538,000 square feet. However, that figure relates to the planned interior build-out rather than the construction of an entirely new warehouse from the ground up.

The strategy also fits Tesla’s broader approach of expanding its operations by taking advantage of existing industrial infrastructure.

Tesla is leasing a large existing industrial building near Austin as it expands its regional logistics and operating footprint.

Tesla has not publicly detailed what products or operations will be handled at the location. Therefore, the exact role of the building remains unclear.

The company also did not provide additional details about the project in response to requests for information.

Texas Is Becoming Increasingly Important to Tesla

The new Tesla Austin distribution center is another sign of how important Texas has become to the company’s long-term strategy.

Gigafactory Texas covers roughly 2,500 acres and contains more than 10 million square feet of factory space. It serves as a major U.S. manufacturing hub for the Model Y and Cybertruck.

Tesla also operates a direct delivery center at its Austin campus, showing that the company’s presence in the region already extends beyond vehicle manufacturing.

Tesla’s growing Austin-area footprint includes Gigafactory Texas, the company’s major manufacturing hub in the region.

Volkswagen is bringing the ideas behind the radical XL1 into the electric era with the Mission Efficiency, a low-slung 2+2 prototype designed to show how far EV efficiency can go.

This is not a preview of a future production model. Instead, Volkswagen has developed the Mission Efficiency as a technology showcase built around its MEB+ architecture and electric drive technology from the new ID. Polo.

The result is an unusually sleek electric car designed to prove that increasing range does not always require installing a massive battery.

The XL1’s Philosophy Returns as an EV

The original XL1 became famous for its extreme focus on aerodynamic efficiency. Volkswagen has now taken that same philosophy and applied it to a much larger four-seat electric vehicle.

The Mission Efficiency measures roughly 188 inches long, 69 inches wide and only 55 inches tall. Its proportions are dominated by a long roofline, enclosed rear wheels and a tapered rear section that gives the car a distinctive teardrop profile.

Volkswagen Mission Efficiency uses a long, low and aerodynamic body inspired by the efficiency-focused XL1.

Despite its XL1 inspiration, the Mission Efficiency is substantially larger. Its long body allows Volkswagen to accommodate four occupants while still retaining the aerodynamic shape needed to minimize resistance.

The result is a concept that looks more like an aerodynamic experiment than a conventional electric coupe.

Aerodynamics Are the Real Star

Volkswagen says the Mission Efficiency achieves a drag coefficient of just 0.158. That is even lower than the 0.189 coefficient of the original XL1.

The shape does most of the work. The front section tapers heavily, the roof extends toward the rear, and the enclosed rear wheels help reduce turbulence around the body.

Volkswagen also developed new aerodynamic hardware specifically for the prototype.

Three cooling flaps sit flush with the front bodywork and open only as much as necessary to provide cooling. Inside the wheels, patented deflectors are designed to prevent air from entering the rims and generating additional turbulence.

The Mission Efficiency uses a heavily tapered body, enclosed rear wheels and specialized aerodynamic elements to reduce drag.

These details demonstrate how much attention Volkswagen has placed on airflow. Rather than simply increasing battery capacity, the company is trying to reduce the amount of energy the vehicle needs in the first place.

The Mission Efficiency was also influenced by the company’s ID.R electric race car, showing that ideas from both road and motorsport programs have contributed to its aerodynamic approach.

ID. Polo Technology Powers the Prototype

Underneath the dramatic bodywork is technology that is much closer to production.

The Mission Efficiency uses the MEB+ platform with front-wheel drive and shares its electric drive technology with the ID. Polo. Its front-mounted synchronous motor produces 133 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque.

Power is sent to the front wheels through a single-speed transmission.

The Mission Efficiency uses an electric drivetrain derived from the Volkswagen ID. Polo rather than an exotic dedicated performance system.

The battery is also based on the production unit used by the ID. Polo. Volkswagen increased usable capacity from 52.0 to 54.9 kWh through software optimization.

Maximum DC charging power reaches 105 kW.

That combination is important because Volkswagen is demonstrating that extreme efficiency can come from refining relatively conventional production technology rather than relying on exotic hardware.

The Mission Efficiency Could Shape Future Volkswagens

The Volkswagen Mission Efficiency is ultimately a rolling engineering exercise. Its unusual proportions and aerodynamic solutions are intended to show what becomes possible when every component is developed around minimizing energy consumption.

That includes the body, battery, electric motor and thermal management systems. Even small improvements can become significant when they are combined across the entire vehicle.

The Mission Efficiency therefore revives the spirit of the XL1 without simply copying it. The original was a tiny two-seat efficiency experiment, while this new prototype turns the same philosophy into a roomier 2+2 electric vehicle built around technology that could influence Volkswagen’s next generation of EVs.

Dodge and Tony Stewart Racing are bringing new Super Bee and Purple Haze designs to NHRA drag racing as the series returns to Michigan for the first national event there in 66 years.

The event takes place September 18–20 at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan. It will mark the first NHRA national event in the state in 66 years, giving Dodge an ideal setting to showcase its newest performance themes.

Team owner Tony Stewart joined Pruett and Hagan at the Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills to reveal the new graphics ahead of the race.

Two TSR Dodge Cars Get a New Look

Pruett’s Top Fuel dragster and Hagan’s Funny Car will both carry the updated Dodge designs. The liveries combine the legendary Super Bee identity with the new Purple Haze exterior color developed for the 2027 Dodge Charger.

The combination is especially fitting for a brand that has spent decades building its identity around high-performance cars and bold visual designs.

Leah Pruett’s TSR Dodge Top Fuel dragster will carry the new Super Bee-themed livery at the Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals.

Each machine produces around 12,000 horsepower, creating an unmistakable connection between Dodge’s production performance cars and its NHRA racing program.

For Pruett, the Michigan event also represents an opportunity to add another victory to her growing Top Fuel record.

Matt Hagan Brings Purple Haze to Funny Car

Matt Hagan will race the new Purple Haze-themed TSR Dodge Funny Car. The four-time NHRA Funny Car champion enters the event as the 2026 regular-season champion and is now competing for another title during the six-race Countdown.

Hagan has already collected 58 career NHRA victories, all in the Funny Car category and all behind the wheel of a Dodge.

Matt Hagan’s TSR Dodge Funny Car receives a Purple Haze-inspired design ahead of the NHRA’s return to Michigan.

The new graphics give Hagan another distinctive Dodge identity for the championship stretch. He has already won three NHRA events in 2026 at Pomona, Bristol and Brainerd.

Hagan will now attempt to put the Super Bee logo in victory lane at one of the most significant races on this year’s NHRA calendar.

The 2027 Charger Super Bee Will Be on Display

The race weekend will also give fans their first opportunity to see the 2027 Dodge Charger Super Bee Launch Edition in person at the Manufacturers Midway.

The production model produces 600 horsepower from its SIXPACK powertrain, making it the most powerful Super Bee yet.

Dodge introduced the model earlier this summer at Roadkill Nights, where it was presented as the quickest, fastest and most powerful SIXPACK-powered Charger.

The 2027 Dodge Charger Super Bee Launch Edition will be displayed at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park during the NHRA weekend.

The new Purple Haze paint is also available to customers ordering the 2027 Charger. The limited-run color costs $795 and uses a high-gloss finish that changes its appearance depending on the lighting, becoming brighter in direct sunlight and deeper in the shade.

Dodge and NHRA Take the “Tour de Michigan” to the Track

Dodge is also turning the event into a broader enthusiast celebration with its NHRA Dodge “Tour de Michigan” cruise on September 17.

Owners of Dodge vehicles and performance cars from any brand can join the drive from Auburn Hills to Martin. The suggested route includes a stop in Hell, Michigan, before continuing toward U.S. 131 Motorsports Park.

The cruise gives enthusiasts an opportunity to arrive at the race together while celebrating Michigan’s deeply rooted performance-car culture.

A Big Weekend for Dodge and Tony Stewart Racing

The Dodge Super Bee NHRA liveries bring together two sides of the brand’s performance identity. On one side are Pruett and Hagan’s 12,000-horsepower race cars, while on the other is the new 600-horsepower Charger Super Bee that represents Dodge’s latest street-performance technology.

The timing could hardly be better. NHRA is returning to Michigan for the first national event in 66 years, and Dodge is using the occasion to put its newest performance branding directly in front of racing fans.

For Tony Stewart Racing, the goal is even simpler: turn the new Super Bee and Purple Haze colors into trophies when the NHRA action begins at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park.