VW has been teasing us with the resurrection of Volkswagen’s Microbus for long enough; now, it seems the manufacturer is finally ready to put its money where its mouth is. It’s confirmed that the classic icon will finally be produced – and with electric power, too.
A full five years since the Bulli concept was revealed, the next-generation Microbus will be unveiled next month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The big occasion will be accompanied by a speech from Herbert Diess, VW’s head of passenger cars, on the company’s vision for electric mobility.
He will explain how, as well as the usual assortment of four-cylinder turbo petrol and diesel engines, the model will also be available with an all-electric driveline to offer a 250-310-mile range. This will be achievable by utilising the lithium-ion battery tech from the Audi R8 E-Tron and Q6 E-Tron Quattro concept, and means the newcomer should make as big a splash as the original 1100cc Microbus camper did upon its 1950 launch.
A VW spokesman says the newcomer – which will be built at VW’s Puebla factory in Mexico – will feature three “very important” Microbus design cues: “A wide, solid D-pillar; a boxy centre section; and a very short front-end overhang”. It will be smaller than the current Multivan. Production is slated to begin in 2017.
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