Back to the future: that’s how our VW mechanics described Volkswagen’s new electric dune buggy during some shop talk at our Cincinnati auto shop this week.
Volkswagen’s new all electric dune buggy combined the perfect amount of future and retro in one tantalizing combination. It’s a similar approach to the company’s recent launch of the electric version of the microbus. That one was for the Dead Heads, this one for the Beach Bums.
More Fun than Practical
Coined the I.D. Buggy like other I.D. branded VWs that brand the European automaker’s electric future, the electric dune buggy packs a 201-horsepower electric motor powered by a 62 kWh lithium-ion battery. The I.D. Buggy has a range of about 155 miles.
“The battery is designed for short but active distances — in other words, you won’t be taking this on any road trips,” the Verge reports. “On paved roads, the buggy can sprint from zero to 62 mph in 7.2 seconds. The maximum speed is electronically controlled at 99 mph.”
The buggy is designed to show off the versatility of its MEB tech or “Modulare E-Antriebs-Baukasten,” which is German for “modular electric drive matrix” that will power its electric fleet.
It leans more fun than practical — a 2-seater with no doors or roof — perfect for cruising coast lines in search of a good time, but family cross country vacations? Not so much.
“As you’d expect, the I.D. Buggy’s styling is far more playful than other VW I.D. concepts, with its green-and-blue paint scheme, funky-looking round headlights and taillights, and the lack of a roof and doors (there is a tarp that can be stretched over the top for sun protection). A set of 18-inch wheels are wrapped in BFGoodrich all-terrain tires, the underbody is reinforced for off-roading, and there are tow hooks in the front and rear bumpers for easy retrieval if the I.D. Buggy should get stuck in the sand.”
So it’s more perfect for a movie than a family — which is what our mechanics love about it. It won’t replace the family minivan, but it is something to fantasize about on a Wednesday afternoon when you’re elbows deep in a European engine doing the quality repair work our customers depend on.
