Volkswagen’s Classic Camper is Getting an Electric Upgrade

by | Aug 29, 2017 | car history, News, Volkswagen

VW ID Buzz, electric car, electric camper, electric van, vw, volkswagen, Volks Affair, vw mechanic south melbourne, vw service south melbourne, vw car servicing melbourne, vw car servicing south melbourne

So far, we have told you about Audi’s electric e-Tron and BMW’s future fleet of fossil-fuel-free vehicles. Today, we are talking about Volkswagen’s newest eco-friendly automobile, the ID Buzz. It’s Volkswagen’s classic camper with 0-emissions and an electric twist. The Volkswagen ID Buzz concept vehicle is possibly the most futuristic car yet!               

The Classic Camper

Since 1949, VW has made the iconic camper, with the van becoming a beacon for counter-culture and peace movements in the 60s and 70s. It was the company’s second vehicle, designed for tradesmen and large families. Since the first in 1949, the Type 2, the Volkswagen van has gone through several different models, but the Camper has always remained an icon.

 

2022 ID Buzz

Volkswagen’s electric camper is a new version of the classic two-toned van. Called the ID Buzz, the new model is set to hit the streets in 2022. Like the classic rear-engine Kombi, the ID Buzz will have no grille at the front. (The classic combi didn’t need a radiator at the front because the engine was at the back.) The ID Buzz will have a lithium ion battery under the floor and a motor on each axle of its extended wheel base, making it a four-wheel drive.

 

Battery and Power

The ID Buzz will use VW’s Modular Electric Drive (MEB). The MEB is designed to maximise the efficiency and aerodynamics of e-vehicles.

The 111kw battery should last up to 480 – 600km per charge and using a special adapter, an 80% recharge should take only half an hour. Without a special charger, the recharge will take slightly longer using a standard household plug-in.

The four wheel-based motors will give the ID Buzz 275kw of power. Because the motors will be on each wheel, the company say that future versions (Volkswagen hope to have 30 electric models by 2030) may be adapted to smaller, rear-wheel drives with 200kw power.

The concept ID Buzz can reach 0-97kmph in 5 sec, which is almost the same as the current VW Golf R. 

 

The look

The ID Buzz is modelled after the classic Kombi, also known as the Camper, the model most associated with the hippy movement, with a yellow base and a lighter top half. An illuminated line will run between the two colours. The electric vehicle, like Audi’s electric series, will have an illuminated badge and “eye-like” hexagonal headlights.

Dimensions

At 4943 (L) x 1976 (W) x 1963 (H), the van sure will make for a spacious ride. The third row seats are collapsible into beds and the interior promises as much space as a modern SUV and will be able to sit 8 people. The Camper’s adaptable interior is a big feature, maximising passenger and driver moveability.

The most futuristic electric vehicle yet

Like BMW’s electric range, VW’s ID Buzz has an amazing array of security systems, such as lasers, cameras and sensors. The windshield will have digital display capabilities, mapping speed and navigation information on the inside of the glass.

Volkswagen says the ID Buzz will take its tech integration to the next level. The tray-like steering wheel will retract and a self-driving system will take over as a part of the ID Pilot system! We’ll have to wait and see how much of a reality this will be, but VW seems to think that autonomous vehicles will be on our roads in only five years!

 

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