It's not quite as sexy as the new Lamborghini Siesto Elemento, or a speedy as the Bugatti Veyron L'Or Blanc, but the Volkswagen Nils set to inspire the future of city driving.

With a 460kg aluminium spaceframe chassis, it is powered by a 15kW electric motor supported by a rechargeable 5.3kW lithium-ion battery pack. By skipping out on the luxuries - such as extra seats, power steering and automatically-adjusting mirrors - the company has designed the vehicle to reach a top speed of 130km/h in just under 20 seconds. The Nils has a range of 65 kilometres, taking about two hours to recharge. 

aIn a statement, designer Thomas Ingenlath said the car was built with the future in mind.

"The car had to visually highlight the theme of sustainability, while showing a future-oriented look and simply being fun."

Despite its small size, the Nils meets all German safety requirements.

Studies have shown that in Germany, over 70% of people drive to work on their own - a statistic almost matched by Sydney commuters.

The revolution of efficient, one-seater cars can keep the solidarity - but reduce emissions at the same time.