In the 1960s, Volkswagen was famed for two vehicles – the Beetle and the Type 2 (better known as the Microbus).
The Beetle has been reinvented by the company with great success, so now Volkswagen is going try again with the Microbus. The new version is an all-electric vehicle called Bulli.
The new Bulli certainly calls back to the original – with a couple of exceptions.
The first is the engine will be in the front, instead of the rear. The original Microbus was famed for it’s flat facade – an interesting design, but one that meant your knees were also your bumper.
The second change is the engine is now electric. There is a 40 kWh lithium ion battery pack that fits underneath the passenger compartment. Volkswagen claims the Builli will have a 186-mile range and a one hour charging time. The Bulli will also be high tech, with features such as an iPad docking station.
The announcement of the Bulli brings to close a decade-long delay. Volkswagen originally announced the new Microbus in 2001, only to shelve the concept to focus on other ventures.