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VW Designer "Fighting Hard" for All-Electric Beetle

A car that combines electric drive with the iconic VW Beetle shape? There's no way people are going to hate that.
Volkswagen Beetle 69 photos
Photo: Volkswagen
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Confirming our presumption that the future of the Bug will be electric, Klaus Bischoff, head of Volkswagen design, recently said in an interview with VW Vortex that: "We are fighting hard [for it] and considering a new electric bug. Let’s see what we can do on that one.”

TBeetle and the Microbus are some of Bischoff's favorite subjects. Apparently, not having the engine in front of the driver gets designers really excited about how they can play with the proportions.

It's too early to pin the Beetle EV down fo specifics because development hasn't even started yet. However, there are two main directions this could go in.

The first would be to base the 2020-or-later Beetle on the MQB II. The platform has always been designed for EV applications, while conventional TDI or TSI engines would make up the bulk of the range.

However, only having a battery cell stuffed under the rear seats, like on the e-Golf, could pose severe limitations on the chunky Beetle, which is already crammed for trunk and headroom.

The other possibility would be to make the car as an EV from the ground up using the MEB platform (like the I.D. concept). But doesn't Volkswagen already have a number of other pure-electric projects, like the XL3, on its plate already?

With the MEB, the Beetle could have the engine at the back, freeing the front up for trunk use. Wouldn't it be cool to pop the hood and find a spare wheel right at the nose of the car?

Bischoff also confirmed that the Beetle isn't going to be discontinued. After updates in 2016, the coupe and cabriolet should continue into 2018. Dieselgate damage control has left us without the Scirocco and Golf Cabrio, but despite declining sales, the Beetle remains an essential part of the brand.

Simply put, it looks too cool parked next to that boring gray Golf and Passat in every VW dealership.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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