Volkswagen Electric Budd-e Concept
At this week's CES 2016 in Las
Vegas, Volkswagen has unveiled its Budd-e Concept, a preview of a potential new
generation of the iconic Microbus.
The
Volkswagen Budd-e Concept is underpinned by a new platform dubbed Modular
Electronic Toolkit, created specifically for plug-in vehicles. Power is
provided by a 101 kWh battery pack across the floor of the concept and mated to
an electric motor at the front and an electric motor at the rear, making the
concept all-wheel drive and capable of reaching 93 mph.
A
key development of the aforementioned battery is that in just 15 minutes, it
can be charged to 80 per cent of its capacity. Beyond its use as an
all-electric vehicle, the Budd-e can act as a dedicated auxiliary power unit
for a house and is also capable of wireless communication to a smart home or
smart office setup.
From
a visual standpoint, the Budd-e Concept bares similarities to the original
Microbus but brings the design into the 21st century. At the front, it includes
a large grille while stretches back and connects seamlessly to the LED
headlights. Other key design traits include the lack of door handles and wing
mirrors, the LED taillight which flows up from the tailgate and across the rear
spoiler and the C-shaped daytime running lights.
As
with many other concepts at CES, the interior of the car is also quite special.
For starters, it includes a number of displays in place of conventional mirrors
and additional touchscreen displays instead of analog switches, buttons and
dials. An advanced gesture control system has also been developed which for
example, allows passengers to open doors simply with a motion.
VW intends on reintroducing the Microbus to the market sometime in
2017. If that plan comes to fruition, it is expected to also be offered with a
number of more conventional four-cylinder engines alongside this electric
powertrain.
