Volkswagen converted its iconic 1960s bus into an electric concept car to distract us all
Volkswagen has an idea for a new concept car that — take a deep breath — has nothing to do with the coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday, the German company unveiled its very electric idea for its next generation of microbuses: The e-BULLI, a converted 1966 T1 Samba Bus, is fully electric, but delightfully retro. This particular converted model was built in Hannover, Germany and in a previous life would cruise along the roads of California. Now, it can go 124 miles on a single charge with its 45 kWh-lithium ion battery. (Behind the bus' back license plate you'll find the charging port.)
The T1(also known as a Type 1) bus' innards look very different from its '60s glory days, as its interior is fairly modern with wood floors and a new paint job. The eight-seater has a digital display (with information about range, important for an electric vehicle), but still maintains plenty of its analog vibes. It might seem like a simple retro radio in the front, but there's a hefty dose of tech packed in with Bluetooth and USB connectivity. You can even connect the car to a Volkswagen mobile app.
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Take a look:
There's also a panoramic folding roof. Genuinely awesome.
In Europe, VW bus owners won't have to look longingly at this concept car as, well, just a concept. Electric bus conversions are available for $64,900 euros (just about $64,900 USD, as well).
It's just too bad that, with social distancing, we can't all pile into VW's upgraded hippie van for a much-need escape.
Topics Electric Vehicles
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
