Skip to main content

First Impressions: Volkswagen’s BUDD-e Concept

Volkswagen’s hinted strongly at a forthcoming Microbus-like concept for some time, and at this year’s CES, the car we’ve all been hearing so much about finally became reality.  More computer on wheels than the utilitarian Bus we originally fell in love with, the BUDD-e gives us quite a lot to discuss, so lets get into it.

DB2015AU01208
Long-Range Capability
Boasting a range of up to 373 miles using the New European Driving Cycle, or 233 miles measured by the EPA’s drive cycle, the BUDD-e is squarely on par with many of today’s gas-powered vehicles.  More impressively, it takes just 15 minutes to reach 80% charge, thanks largely to new battery technology.  This is great news for those living in more rural areas, greatly reducing any feelings of ‘range anxiety’ caused by today’s offerings.

DB2015AU01224
Tech-Centric Interior
No doubt enhanced for the tech-savvy crowd attending CES, the BUDD-e likely has more screens than you do at home.  Starting with the few screens on the dash, navigation, smart-home connectivity (BUDD-e can tell how much beer you’ve got in the ‘fridge or unlock the front door for friends), and weather functionality are all readily available in addition to many other features.  The doors open at you’re voice’s command, and the steering wheel features touch-sensitive controls rather than physical buttons.  Gesture control is also present, meaning that the highly capable infotainment is quite intuitive to use as well.

Autodesk VRED Professional 2014 SR1-SP7
Let There be Light
Borrowing from last year’s Golf R Touch concept, all of the interior lighting in BUDD-e is completely customizable by the driver.  On the exterior, what at first appears to be a belt-line trim piece is actually a system of LED lights, illuminating the flanks in bright white light.  The front and back of the vehicle are also illuminated, as the grille also features LED strips, and sweeping tail lights leave a unique signature.

DB2015AU01219
Delivery to Car
Perhaps BUDD-e’s most practical feature, is a simple ‘DropBox’ for deliveries.  Now delivery to car is nothing new (Volvo has begun their own pilot program already), but the way Volkswagen goes about it is quite interesting.  Rather than unlock the entire vehicle, a compartment hidden behind the bumper is used.  The idea here, is that a delivery person can use a digital key to unlock and reveal the ‘DropBox’, but nothing else, protecting the belongings inside your vehicle.

Now, at the moment we’re not quite sure when we’ll see the BUDD-e translate into a retail vehicle, but we do expect quite a few of these elements to make their way into production vehicles quite soon.

To see more of the BUDD-e, check out additional photos below.

DB2015AU01225 DB2015AU01224 DB2015AU01223 DB2015AU01217 DB2015AU01218 DB2015AU01219 DB2015AU01220 DB2015AU01221 DB2015AU01222 DB2015AU01216 DB2015AU01215 DB2015AU01214 DB2015AU01213 DB2015AU01212 DB2015AU01211 DB2015AU01205 DB2015AU01206 DB2015AU01207 DB2015AU01208 DB2015AU01209 DB2015AU01210

 

The post First Impressions: Volkswagen’s BUDD-e Concept appeared first on VWVortex.



from VWVortex http://ift.tt/1POcgwW
via IFTTT
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Project SportWagen: Going Stage 2 with APR

    When we last left you, the humble little SportWagen was fresh from the development process with our friends at AWE Tuning, sporting a new downpipe, exhaust and intake, allowing things to breathe a bit easier.  The car sounded great, but there was no getting around the fact that our wagon was still quite, well, slow.   While we realize that nothing we do to the Golf SportWagen at this point will make it a race car, we still felt compelled to do something .  To put it bluntly, we had a fever, and the only cure was more power. Flash forward a few hours, and we found ourselves at Waterfest, staring down APR’s palatial spread and the numerous tuned vehicles surrounding it.  Earlier in the year, APR had hinted to us that their 1.8 TSI files would be quite impressive, and based on what they were able to do with the 2.0 TSI found in the new GTI and our time in their Golf R, we knew it’d be worth the wait.  So with this in mind, we lined our G...
Post a Comment
Read more

2025 VW Taos gets styling tweaks, power bump

Filed under: Volkswagen , Crossover Continue reading 2025 VW Taos gets styling tweaks, power bump 2025 VW Taos gets styling tweaks, power bump originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Sep 2024 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog https://ift.tt/5syqkoQ
Post a Comment
Read more

Novitec, Unsatisfied with Aventador SV, Adds More Veloce

The Lamborghini Aventador SV is no slouch, but if you’re into Lamborghinis, chances are you’re into big numbers. Whether it’s in the bank or under the hood, a big number could, and perhaps should, always be bigger, which is where Novitec steps in. Novitec has been modifying Italian cars for years, and their Torado line is dedicated to making ridiculous Lamborghinis even more ridiculous. Their latest effort takes the Aventador SV and remaps the engine to give it 786hp and 544 lb-ft of toque. They’ve also fitted the car with a new exhaust system that cuts 50 lbs off the car. Other mods include a carbon fiber aero package, spoiler, front splitter and air intake, all of which helps it shed even more weight. The Aventador also sits on 21 (back) and 20 (front) inch Vossen wheels. So if you think that a regular Aventador is just a little too pedestrian, give Novitec a call and they’ll hook you up. The post Novitec, Unsatisfied with Aventador SV, Adds More Veloce appeared first on VWVor...
Post a Comment
Read more