Can this new Bug really get the electric car concept motoring?
Volkswagen the People's car has yet another rebirth tomorrow when it lifts the lid on this E-Bugster concept car at a press viewing at the Beijing Motor Show.
It's a beauty - but will it fly?
Given the dismal sales showing so far of the hybrid Chevy Volt, could this be the car that a makes the electric breakthrough?
The two-seat E-Bugster was first seen as a coupé at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Now the electric car’s hard-top has been removed, giving the best hint yet of the look of the future Beetle Cabriolet.
An electric motor gives the E-Bugster 85 kWh (115 PS) of power. It can zoom from 0 to 60 mph in 10.9 seconds. But here's the big thing: The range is at least 110 miles from the lithium-ion batteries - more than double the all-electric range of the Volt.
There is NO supplementary petrol engine. If it needs a top-up, it can be recharged in just 35 minutes from a specialist DC source, or there is slower charging from an AC source such as a 230-volt domestic outlet.
The E-Bugster also charges itself as soon as the driver’s foot leaves the accelerator- when kinetic energy is transformed into electricity and stored in the battery. The driver can follow it all on the instrument panel. Instruments tell the driving range and state of the battery.
Range is a very big thing. But price of course is mega-important: we shall see!