A Peek Behind the Wheel and Engine of Volkswagen’s Electric Bus
Volkswagen’s “gateway to the future” is actually an electrified blast from the past.
Unveiled at the Las Vegas CES, VW’s Budd-e Concept is a futuristic take on the company’s iconic hippie microbuses of the ‘60s. Completely powered by electricity, the vehicle is the first to use Volkswagen’s new Modular Electric Platform, which the company claims will rival gas powered engines by the end of the decade. That’s music to the ears of our electrical specialists, who can’t wait to see this baby in action.
Over 300 Miles in Distance and Speed on a 20 Minute Charge
The vehicle gets 233 miles on a single charge and can recharge 80 percent of its power in 15 to 30 minutes. It can hit speeds over 90 mph and supports cordless inductive charging.
Designed for optimization, the front and rear electric engines are pushed as far to the front and rear of the vehicle as possible. This leaves an expansive flat floor, perfect for road trips to the next show.
“Where the BUDD-e really shines is in the design, both exterior and interior,” observed Time Magazine’s Alex Fitzpatrick. “On the outside, you’ve got a sleek rethink of VW’s classic vans. Inside, Volkswagen’s engineers have blended the infotainment systems and driver dashboards on an ‘information hub’ that resembles a panel from Star Trek’s Enterprise.”
Check out the Budd-e Concept in action in this Consumer Reports video.
