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March 10, 2022

Volkswagen Reveals ID.Buzz: Retro-Style Electric Van

Filed under: Fitness — Tags: , , , — admin @ 11:42 am

It’s been a long time since the iconic VW Bus was ever-present on U.S. roads, but a first look at that beloved vehicle’s descendent might signal a renaissance for Volkswagen vans. The new photos of the Volkswagen ID.Buzz show a modern all-electric version of the old Microbus. And make no mistake, this is a comparison encouraged by the folks at Volkswagen. While the vehicle is brand new, VW hopes it will take you down memory lane just as well as it does the highway.

VW ID.Buzz in orange and white viewed from the rear
Courtesy Image

The new images show the European short-wheelbase version of the ID.Buzz built on VW’s modular electric drive matrix (MEB) platform. The low profile of the MEB platform allows for more usable interior space while also meeting impact safety standards. There isn’t an official power output number yet, but the vehicle is expected to have at least 295-hp with a 250-mile range, according to Car and Driver.

New bus, old sentiments

There’s no mistaking the styling cues that connect the ID.Buzz with the old Bus. The vehicle, available in both passenger and cargo models, features an oversized VW logo and optional two-color paint schemes.

Scott Keogh, CEO of the Volkswagen Group of America, calls the ID.Buzz “our magical, modern microbus” that combines “the love of the past with the brilliance of the future.”

VW Id.Buzz interior showing front and rear passenger seats in orange and white fabric
Courtesy Image

Sustainability is a large part of the ID.Buzz design. For example, there’s no leather used in the interior. Instead, a leather-like polyurethane is being used for the steering wheel. The fabric for the seat covers and roof liner uses fiber made from 10 percent collected ocean plastic and 90 percent recycled PET bottles. Volkswagen also says that when batteries reach their end of life, you can return them.

Interestingly, the ID.Buzz is not the first Bus with an electric drivetrain. That honor goes to a T2 van on display at the Hannover Trade Fair 50 years ago. According to VW, that vehicle had a range of 52 miles.

VW ID.Buzz steering wheel and dashboard seen from the driver's perspective
Courtesy Image

Sales for European models of the ID.Buzz begin this summer. However, if you want to hit the roads of the U.S., you’ll have a wait. A long wheelbase model will be coming to America in 2024 featuring a seven-passenger configuration. Until then, you might want to start planning some future road trips. As a 1978 print ad for the original said, “It’s more fun to take the Bus.”

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May 27, 2021

Can This New EV Really Drive Us Off the Grid?

Filed under: Fitness — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 7:06 pm

We’re about to get hit with a surge of burly electric adventure vehicles, from a plug-in pickup from Rivian to the electrified rebirth of Hummer. Each of these rigs will be powerful—and heavy. But what if there were another way? Such is the question posed by Aptera and its eponymous three-wheel electric vehicle with solar assist, which the San Diego company aims to roll out in 2022.


 

Aptera is a featherweight—it should weigh between 1,800 and 2,200 pounds. Along with an absurdly low drag coefficient, that spry makeup will enable the solar panels on its shell to create enough power to send it 45 miles daily—meaning some owners might not have to plug it in at all, though when they do they’ll gain up to 1,000 miles with a single charge.

“You could head out on a five-day camping trip and actually leave with more energy in your battery pack than when you got there,” says Aptera CEO Chris Anthony.

Though there’s room for only two passengers, the rear has space for a seven-foot surfboard or a bike. And while its teardrop-in-space design might make the Aptera look like some perilously delicate contest entry, its composite monocoque design—similar to an F1 car or Cirrus aircraft—should make it durable. The far-out machine will feature a range of powertrain configurations, including a three-wheel-drive model promised to go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.


Uncle Sam will classify the Aptera as an autocycle; in a handful of states, you may need a motorcycle license to operate it. Orders are being taken, with prices ranging from $26,000 to $46,000. The company plans to have a production prototype by the end of 2021.

If some of this sounds familiar, you’re not mistaken. Aptera was poised to produce an EV a decade ago, but a failed effort to secure a $600 million Department of Energy loan led to liquidation. In the years since, Tesla has powered EV development, meaning instead of creating parts from scratch, Aptera can now buy them ready-made from other suppliers. With the same co-founders but significant personnel changes, the company is counting on brighter skies this time around.

“Coming out of COVID, inspiration is in short supply,” says Anthony. “But I think people will see Aptera and say, ‘I always thought that vehicles could be something like this.’ ”

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