The latest Beetle might be ‘more
power, less flower’, but that
doesn’t mean that it’s anything
other than environmentally
conscientious, and that’s
especially the case with the E-Bugster
concept, which is powered purely
by electricity.
|
|
|
Revealed this week at the North
American International Auto Show
in Detroit, the
two-seat E-Bugster continues the
latest Beetle’s sporty theme.
An electric motor provides 85
kWh of power, which can propel
it from 0 to 60 mph in 10.9
seconds, and yet offer a range
of at least 110 miles from the
28.3 kWh lithium-ion batteries.
Even in a country as large as
America, that’s sufficient for
the majority of commuters’
needs, while if the E-Bugster
needs a top-up, a fast-charging
function allows complete
recharging in just 35 minutes. |
The quick charging is possible
thanks to a new Combined
Charging System that was
developed in co-operation with
Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche,
Ford and General Motors/Opel.
This allows charging via
single-phase AC sources (for
example a 120-Volt US or
230-Volt European domestic
outlet) or via ultra-fast DC
sources at specific charging
stations. To succeed, this will
require the development of a
uniform industry standard for
sockets and plugs and also for
the charge controller, so that
all charging types can be
handled.
Of
course, the E-Bugster doesn’t
charge only when plugged in: as
soon as the driver’s foot leaves
the accelerator pedal kinetic
energy is transformed into
electricity and stored in the
battery. Applying the brakes
increases the intensity of
regeneration, a function that is
indicated to the driver in the
instrument panel. Other
instruments include driving
range and battery state
indicators, and a meter that
shows how much energy the driver
is requesting via the
accelerator pedal.
At
4,278 mm long and 1,838 mm wide,
the E-Bugster is the same length
as a standard Beetle but 30 mm
wider, while the new roof lowers
the height by around 90 mm to
1,400 mm. This helps to give
the E-Bugster its more dynamic
and sporty look. The low,
swept-back windscreen ensures
maximum visibility, as does the
wide rear screen, which shows
that speedster-style vehicles
need not be impractical.
Both front and rear bumpers have
been substantially modified from
those of the production Beetle.
At the front, LED daytime
running lights at the outer
edges of the central air intake
form a C-shape on the left that
is mirrored on the right – a
signature feature of
Volkswagen’s electric vehicle
concepts. This is also true at
the back, where reflectors take
the place of LEDs. Beneath the
flared wheel arches sit 20-inch
alloy wheels that are adapted
from the 18-inch ‘Twister’
alloys of the production car,
with 235/35 tyres. Around the
bottom edge of the side windows
is a chrome strip that loops
around the vehicle from A-pillar
to A-pillar. From this chrome
strip to the top of the E-Bugster’s
hard top the height is a low
400mm.
Inside, the two-seat interior
reflects the E-Bugster’s blend
of high-tech and sportiness,
with sports seats nestling
either side of a continuous
centre console, plus aluminium
door handles and seatbelt
guides.
Starting the E-Bugster is pure
theatre: upon pressing the Start
button the interior is bathed in
white light, then blue light.
It starts with a light pulse in
the instrument cluster, from
where the light emanates in a
millimetre-wide strip, coursing
into the doors and around the
air nozzles.
If
the E-Bugster’s name is
familiar, it should be: it takes
some inspiration from the
Ragster concept that made its
debut at the 2005 Detroit Show,
and which itself inspired the
current Beetle. The ‘E’ of the
name signifies the vehicle’s
electric power, and the ‘Bug’
part of the name should need no
explanation.
The E-Bugster is only a concept
at this stage. The
petrol-powered production Beetle
is available to order now, with
first deliveries due in April.
