Love electric vehicles, but hate charging them? Volkswagen gives us a glimpse into the future of EV charging stations in the form of a mobile charging robot that takes over this task and drives to the electric car completely autonomously. Once summoned via app or V2X communication, the mobile robot drives itself to the vehicle that needs charging and communicates with it. It then automatically opens the charging socket flap to connect the plug to decoupling – the entire charging process occurs without any human interaction. Read more for a video and additional information.
The Volkswagen Type 2 Microbus is a forward control light commercial vehicle first introduced in 1950, and to keep it up to date, California-based EV West decided to give a 1972 model year vehicle an all-electric makeover. They swapped out its four-cylinder gas-engine for a 2017 e-Golf-sourced 35.8kWh battery pack and 134hp electric motor, mated to a single-speed transmission in the rear compartment of the Type 2. Read more for additional pictures and information.
Volkswagen has come up with some interesting concept vehicles over the years, and the Atlas Cross Sport R Concept is most certainly one of them, designed purely to go off-road. It may be based on the Atlas Cross Sport, but that’s where the similarities end, as the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder has been tuned to develop 480 horsepower. Read more for a video, additional pictures and information.
The sleek Volkswagen ID Space Vizzion, unveiled today in Los Angeles, is powered by a 275-horsepower, rear- mounted electric motor with power supplied by an 82 kWh lithium-ion battery. Power electronics on the front and rear axle control the flow of high-voltage energy between the motor and the battery, converting direct current (DC) stored in the battery into alternating current (AC). Aside from the 275-hp rear-mounted motor, the ID. SPACE VIZZION can also be fitted with a 101-hp coaxial drive, which gives the vehicle all-wheel-drive capability and a system output of 335 hp, good for a 0-60 mph sprint in 5.0 seconds and and an electronically limited top speed of 109 mph. What really stands out is its 300-mile range on a single charge. Read more for additional pictures and information.
Photo credit: Brent Walter
Auto enthusiast Brent Walter transformed an original 1971–1973 Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle into two functional motorbikes, called “Volkspod”. They’re powered a 79cc (birch green) and 212cc (pastel blue) Volkswagen engines and the frame has been modified to include a functional headlight and taillight systems. No performance numbers were mentioned, but on a related note, the original 25 hp Beetle was designed for a top speed around 100 km/h (62 mph). Read more for a video and additional information.
Before the Bugatti Veyron, there was the Volkswagen Syncro W12 concept, which made its debut in 1997 at the Tokyo Motor Show. It was actually VW’s first sports car concept, powered by a 5.6-litre W12 engine producing 420 hp with Syncro four-wheel drive. The vehicle itself was designed by the Italdesign firm in Italy. Read more for a video and additional information.
Professional race car driver Romain Dumas set a new record at China’s Tianmen Mountain Big Gate Road of 7 minutes, 38.585 seconds in the all-electric Volkswagen ID.R, and now, the automaker has released the full dashcam video of the entire run. This vehicle is powered by two electric motors – one at each axle, that produce a combined 680 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, all in a 2,500 lb package. Read more for two videos and additional information.
Based on Volkswagen’s modular MEB platform, the ID.3 aims to be an affordable all-electric hatchback with superb range. The base model sports a 45-kWh battery (205-miles), the ID.3 1ST launch edition with a 58-kWh battery (261 miles), and the range-topping 77-kWh battery pack that’s good for up to 342-miles on a full charge. Plug any of these models into a 100-kW quick charger, and you should get around 180-miles in just 30 minutes. Read more for a video tour, additional pictures and information.
The quirky Volkswagen I.D. Buggy Concept has made its Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance debut at Monterey Car Week. It was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show and previews the versatility of Volkswagen’s modular I.D. architecture. This all-electric buggy is powered by a 62-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack and two axle-mounted motors for a combined output of 201 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, sent to all four wheels, which equates to a 0-60 miles per hour time of 7.2 seconds. Read more for a video, additional pictures and information.
Volkswagen’s I.D. R electric race car has shattered the 20-year record set by a McLaren Formula 1 car for the fastest run up the Goodwood Festival of Speed hill-climb. It was driven by Le Mans winner Romain Dumas and the vehicle was optimized for speed, so it ran with fewer batteries to save weight, an F1-style drag reduction system, improved aerodynamics, as well as soft compound Bridgestone tires. The official recorded time of 41.18 seconds to beat the previous record of 41.6 seconds previously held by McLaren. Read more to see the record-setting run video and additional information.