VW mulls Beetle EV
Iconic car set to go electric
Volkswagen is considering plans for an electric rearwheel-drive successor to today’s Beetle as part of its range of Id-branded zeroemission models, according to chairman Herbert Diess.
An electric Beetle is one of a number of proposals that will be put before VW board members when they meet to vote on ways to extend the company’s initial range of electric-powered models. If approved, the electric Beetle would act as a sister model to the modern-day Microbus presaged by the ID Buzz concept at this year’s Detroit motor show.
“The next decision on electric cars will be what kind of emotional concepts we need,” said Diess.
Quantifying what is meant by the term ‘emotional concepts’, Diess said it covers cars like the Microbus and Beetle as well as open-top models such as the Kübelwagen and Buggy.
Diess denied that any firm decisions on the successor to the Beetle have yet been made. However, he suggested any direct successor would be electric. He said: “If we wanted to do a Beetle, electrically it would be much better than today’s model, much closer to history, because it could be rear-wheel drive.”
Diess said the MEB platform provides the perfect basis for what he describes as emotional concepts such as the Beetle.
“We have a good chance on the electric side,” he said. “You can do derivatives efficiently. We have a very flexible platform. We can do nice things: rear-wheel drive, frontwheel drive, all-wheel drive.”
Diess’s reference to rear-wheel drive extends directly from the layout planned for VW’S first fully dedicated electric model, the ID hatchback. It runs a single electric motor developing 168bhp and mounted within the rear axle assembly, providing drive to the rear wheels.
The rear-mounted motor and rear-wheel-drive layout of the ID hatchback mirrors that of the original Beetle, introduced in 1939, which used a rear-sited boxer engine and a driven rear axle. Its adoption on a modern-day Beetle model could open up a number of packaging advantages not seen on today’s front-engined, front-drive model, including a front luggage compartment similar to that of the original.
Diess confirmed to Autocar that the MEB platform has already been scheduled to support up to 15 electric models, five of which have been confirmed to be sold under the Volkswagen nameplate.