After revealing a concept electric van and talking of producing an electric pickup, EV-minded Volkswagen announced today that it’s made an electric dune buggy.
Taking its cues from popular dune buggies in the U.S., the concept vehicle is based on the modular electric drive matrix (MEB), demonstrating how multifaceted the new platform is.
“A buggy is more than a car. It is vibrancy and energy on four wheels,” said Klaus Bischoff, head designer at Volkswagen. “These attributes are embodied by the new e-buggy, which demonstrates how a modern, non-retro interpretation of a classic can look and, more than anything else, the emotional bond that electric mobility can create,” states Klaus Bischoff, Head Designer at Volkswagen.”
The e-buggy will be fully revealed in March at the 89th International Geneva Motor Show.
The concept of the fully electric buggy is based on the vehicles that were created in California in the 1960s. Back then, the Beetle chassis served as the basis for these buggies. Now, according to Volkswagen, the MEB is proving to be just as flexible.
True to the original vehicles, this reinterpretation of a dune buggy has no fixed roof or conventional doors, while the large wheels and off-road tires and open side sills dominate the overall look.
The new MEB concept vehicle is intended to show how this fully electric platform can be used for more than just large-scale series production models. Like the Beetle chassis of yesteryear, the MEB has the potential to facilitate the development of low-volume niche vehicles.
The history of recreational vehicles and Volkswagen technology is a long one. From the Beetle convertible and special bodies produced by companies such as Hebmüller and Rometsch to dune buggies like the Meyers Manx, the Beetle chassis allowed for creative custom solutions for decades. Globally, around 250,000 individual vehicles were built as one-offs or at low volumes through to the 1980s.
The latest one-of-a-kind model, the fully electric concept buggy, will be shown for the first time at the 89th International Geneva Motor Show, from March 7-17. The Volkswagen press conference will start at 10:20 am in Hall 2 on March 5.
