VW revealed at this year's Detroit auto show an electric version of the latest generation, 2012 Volkswagen Beetle. The E-Bugster Concept, apart from its new powertrain, also shows various design modifications. With a height of 1,400 mm, which is 90 mm less than a regular Beetle, the Volkswagen E-Bugster is considered to be sports car. It's 30 mm wider than the model it's based on, and it's 4,278 mm long. The VW E-Bugster is a two-door coupe. This body style was taken into consideration since the first stages of development of the new Beetle.
The front of the E-Bugster concept shows some innovative LED daytime running lights, and a new bumper and grille.
For the E-Bugster, Volkswagen developed whole new windscreens and side windows, together with a new set of 20-inch alloys. The wide wheel arches of the E-Bugster, together with its 400-mm low roofline and other styling elements are meant to inspire performance.
At the interior, the E-Bugster features sport seats, lots of aluminum, a sporty steering wheel and of course, a Start button. A very cool system is the E-Bugster's interior lighting system, which VW says "it's a kind of visual awakening of the concept".
Even though Volkswagen managed to give the E-Bugster a sporty look, the concept's performance is far from it. With 85 kW of power, the electric E-Bugster needs 10.9 seconds for the long 0 to 60 mph trip. However, the concept was developed to also be a zero emissions vehicle. It's electric powertrain, which weighs just 80 kg, is juiced by a lithium-ion battery with a 28.3 kWh capacity. The Volkswagen E-Bugster is rated with a 110 miles (180 km) in the urban cycle. What's surprising about the E-Bugster is its recharge time. VW claims that the concept's quick charging function is able to bring the battery up to speed in just 35 minutes. The VW E-Bugster is also equipped with a braking energy recovery system, of course.
So far the E-Bugster is just a concept, but Volkswagen might decide to put it into production in the future. Watch the Volkswagen E-Bugster in action on video lower down this page.
UPDATE (24 Apr 2012): Volkswagen revealed today that the E-Bugster's hard-top is actually removable. This means that the Volkswagen E-Bugster can be turned into a zero-emissions roadster in a matter of minutes.
Volkswagen E-Bugster video:
