Just for show
We must recall that what in Europe was always called the ‘Beetle’ was dubbed in United States the Volkswagen ‘Bug’. And the E-Bugster also calls to mind the ‘Ragster’ concept shown by VW in Detroit six years ago. Of course the Ragster never saw series production and nor will the new show car. It stands just 1.4 metres tall, has wide wheel arches and a cute little spoiler at the back… but these are attributes we have seen before. New here is the flat roof which can be removed at will and stowed in the corner of the garage. Otherwise the E-Bugster is basically comparable technically to any other electrically powered automobile, with its display of battery charge, available range, braking energy recovery and similar data. But finally the E-Bugster has as little chance of seeing assembly line construction as the Ragster back in the day. However in the coming year there will be a series Golf model with the same drivetrain as that in the E-Bugster… and this package has a name… ‘Blue-e-Motion’.
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- The E-Bugster stands just 1.4 metres tall, has wide wheel arches and a cute little spoiler at the back… but these are attributes we have seen before. New here is the flat roof which can be removed at will and stowed in the corner of the garage.
Sporty e-mobility
“We wanted to show that in the E-Bugster we have been able to combine in a Beetle sporty performance and electrical traction”, says the VW spokesperson. “This is a Speedster Beetle powered by an 85 kW motor, able to reach a hundred kilometres an hour in around ten seconds. And this is, of course, all with zero emissions.” A look under the skin reveals the electric motor… weighing just 80 kilos… under the bonnet. It gets its energy from a lithium-ion battery positioned behind the two seats of the runabout. The storage capacity of 28.3 kWh will permit a range of 180 kilometres, Volkswagen promises. A quick-charge system will allow the battery to be replenished in just 35 minutes at properly equipped charging stations. At home the E-Bugster can be hooked up to a normal domestic power outlet. A new standardization has been developed jointly by German and some American car makers and this ensures that the E-Bugster can be re-charged in all ways currently available… monophase with alternating current or much faster with direct current at e-filling stations. “This introduces an new unified standard for the plug connectors of future electrically powered vehicles”, Volkswagen announce with pride. Until now there was no consensus among manufacturers with regard to standard connectivity… and even today there are some leading European and Asian manufacturers who have yet to sign on. The new approach… the ‘Combined Charging System’… is more than just abut standardized plugs. It covers also the electrical architecture of all charging systems.
