The Bulli concept is said to provide clues as to the look of the new CamperVolkswagen officials confirm classic Camper van will return, with an all-electric derivative
Volkswagen is planning to reveal an updated version of its Microbus camper van concept at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next January prior to an official announcement by its chairman, Martin Winterkorn, confirming the iconic van’s return to the German car maker’s line-up.
Described as a close preview to a planned production version of the Microbus to be produced at Volkswagen’s Puebla factory in Mexico from 2017, the updated concept is set to showcase a newly developed electric drive system among other contemporary connectivity technologies.
The zero local emission driveline, which relies on the Volkswagen Group’s latest lithium-ion battery technology as used by the Audi R8 E-Tron and upcoming Audi E-Tron Quattro concept, is claimed to provide a range of between 400 and 500km depending on the driving conditions. It is planned to be offered alongside more conventional turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel powerplants on the production Microbus, which senior Wolfsburg sources describe as being smaller than the latest Multivan.
Volkswagen’s plans to resurrect the Microbus form part of a broader commercial vehicle strategy aimed at significantly bolstering its sales performance in the US market. Other proposed new models under consideration include a range of pick up trucks boasting varying cabin combinations as a rival to the likes of the Ford Ranger.
Speaking at the New York show last year, VW development chief Hans-Jakob Neusser revealed that VW engineers and designers were working on a new Camper van concept using a small electric motor driving the front wheels and battery packs stored under the floor.
Neusser told Autocar that the design of the original VW van was "so iconic" that any attempt at a new model would have to have three "very important" design cues: "First the wide, solid, D-Pillar, second the boxy design of the centre section and, thirdly, the front end must have a very short overhang. The distance from the A-pillar to the front end must be very short."
The key to achieving the unique front-end design is the fact that an electric motor would allow a much lower "bonnet line" than a conventional petrol engine. This, in turn, would allow the A-pillars to be placed much further forward than in a conventional MPV.
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