FIVA, the world’s authority on historic vehicles, was recently in the news for saying the electrification of classic cars is a bad thing. According to the organization, classics cease to be historic vehicles because of electric conversions. That’s obviously debatable as aftermarket companies claim that, in many cases, EV conversions allow classics to survive and not end up in the scrapyard.
Electric classics have taken off in recent years, with an increasing number of them being endorsed or even made by automakers themselves. Take Volkswagen, for instance, which promotes its all-electric powertrains from the e-Up and e-Golf as being perfect for vintage vehicles.
The company’s latest EV conversion involves a 1972 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus from the T2 generation which has been fitted with an electric motor and battery from the e-Golf. VW commissioned electric vehicle conversion specialist EV West to build the electrified Volkswagen Type 2 Bus using the stock 134 HP powertrain and 35.8 kWh battery system from a 2017 e-Golf donor car.
The stock air-cooled 60 HP four-cylinder engine located in the rear compartment has been replaced by the electric motor, one-speed transmission and charging system — all contained in a single transverse-mounted unit. The Type 2 Bus Bay Window has also been given an independent rear suspension to deal with the added weight.
As for the battery units, they are contained inside custom engineered, reinforced and fireproof enclosures located under the front seats and where fuel tank used to be. This ensures that the Type 2 Bus retains its original appearance inside.
The stock long-throw shifter remains but now includes the regenerative braking modes of the VW e-Golf. To further preserve authenticity, the e-Bus will be fitted with a classically styled multi-function digital EV gauge in the dashboard. As the photos can attest, the electrified Type 2 Bus looks stock from the outside too, with its two-tone paintwork combining Kansas Beige and Pastel White.
Equipped with the new powertrain, the VW e-Bus can drive for around 201 km on a full battery charge. More importantly, it can do so with zero emissions and zero noise — although the lack of the typical boxer engine sound most definitely takes away some of its character.
