VW didn’t say in its releases if the new Microbus will actually go into production, but said that the BUDD-e “demonstrates what electric mobility could be like by the year 2019”.
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The BUDD-e concept packs a 101-kilowatt-hour battery providing up to 373 miles of range in the New European Driving Cycle, a test cycle created to assess emissions. Volkswagen claims an 80% charge charge after 30mins on a high powered 150kW system – sufficient to provide the Budd-e with a range of up to 265 miles.
Taking that a step further, DoorBird’s technology allows for video of your friends ringing your doorbell to be zapped onto the BUDD-e’s infotainment screen, as you’ll even be able to open your home’s door from your auto, allowing them to sit down and have a drink before you get there and join them. Possibly reviving the Microbus shape, it will be the standard bearer for a new range of much more efficient electric cars using the MEB.
The Volkswagen BUDD-e is presented at a press conference at the CES 2016 Consumer Electronics Show on CES Press Day in Las Vegas, Nevada on Jan 5, 2016.
Long-range electric vehicles are one of the lofty benchmarks required to help EVs compete with gas-powered vehicles in a market that’s as thirsty as ever for SUVs and pickups.
He called it a “smartphone on wheels”, with verbal commands and gestures replacing buttons, which has a new generation of infotainment systems and is compatible with nearly any smartphone, and can also be charged wirelessly.
The development of a specific platform means that while the Budd-e itself may or may not make the leap to production, there’s nothing fanciful about Volkswagen’s plans for a new generation of electric vehicles. The steering wheel also has a touch interface with haptic feedback, allowing the driver to slide or tap various parts of the wheel that correspond to menus shown on the display. That grille is at least V-shaped in reference to the old bus’ chrome-trimmed face, and the Budd-e sports a two-tone paint job and full LED lighting.
A simple “Hello BUDD-e” activates the vehicle’s voice control.
Cameras are used to register if a passenger in the rear compartment wants to open the sliding door, for instance.
Even if it was born in the most cynical of circumstances, the BUDD-e is a ripe idea.
From the description MEB would appear to be geared towards more compact city cars at this stage, maximising interior space on a small footprint, providing VW a cost-effective and adaptable platform that can underpin a number of very different looking vehicles and a new emphasis on connected technology.
Volkswagen also sees the Budd-e as a component of our connectivity with “the internet of things”, making it a key interface with systems that communicate with our devices and homes.
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This is an electric Volkswagen minivan concept.
