Electric Brands, a company out of Germany,
has plans to bring its eye-catching eBussy to the market next year. The
intriguing eBussy is underpinned by an electric platform and is fully modular,
meaning it can be transformed from a regular minivan into a tipper truck, a
pickup, and various other forms. In fact, there are 10 different body styles
that will be offered and the eBussy can be easily converted from left- to
right-hand drive, or even center-drive, by simply sliding the steering wheel
across the dashboard. This ability to adjust the driving position is due to the
fact that the vehicle uses drive-by-wire technology and doesn’t have a steering
wheel or pedals that are mechanically connected to the front wheels.
All eBussy models come with a tiny 10 kWh
battery pack that is apparently good for 200 km of range. However,
an optional 30 kWh battery is available, bumping up the range to 600 km. Driving the wheels are in-hub electric motors that produce just 20 hp
but, at the same time, an extremely impressive 1,000 Nm of torque.
While that’s a very small horsepower
figure, the eBussy only weighs between 450 kg and 600 kg depending on the body. Unsurprisingly, the vehicle is focused primarily on
urban use. All eBussy body styles are equipped with solar panels in the roof
and the vehicle also uses a brake energy recovery system. Electric Brands is
also looking to establish a network of charging stations.
The eBussy will be very affordable, with a
basic model priced at just € 15,800 (US$ 18,273) including VAT. Prices of course
vary depending on the body style selected and whether or not the vehicle is
optioned out in off-road guise. The most expensive variant is the eBussy
‘Offroad Camper’ that’s priced at € 28,800 (US$ 33,309).
