Skip to main content

Watch this Electric Beetle Conquer the Welsh Countryside

I’m sensitive to the fact that some people may call this sacrilege. The air cooled flat four is such a big part of Volkswagen lore that its disappearance marks the distinction between the classic and modern eras of VW. That said, there’s something appealing about replacing it with an electric motor.

First and foremost, classic cars look great. Secondly, they’re light. And thirdly, they’re simple, so adding a new drivetrain is relatively (massive emphasis) simple.

The Fully Charged Show has now released a video on YouTube about Electric Classic Cars’ electric classic Beetle.

The Beetle has been restored and then had an electric motor bolted in. The motor powers the wheels through the stock transmission, weirdly, and will get this old-timer up to 60 in just 8 seconds (which we know isn’t all that quick for an electric Beetle).

The Beetle wooshes as quietly as you’d expect and according to Richard Morgan, of Electric Classic Cars, it’ll do 100 miles on a charge.

ebeetle engine

As the video brings up, there’s something particularly of the moment about an electric Beetle, given Volkswagen’s electric ambitions.

My only real gripe about this car is the sticker on the back window that says “100% electric.” Clearly Electric Classic Cars has gone to great trouble to make this Beetle look as stock as possible, so putting a sticker in the window to let people know it’s electric feels counterproductive at best and preachy at worst.

Otherwise, though, I’m sold on the idea of an electric Beetle. But what about a modern electric Beetle? Should the next Beetle skip MQB and go straight to MEB? What do you think?

The post Watch this Electric Beetle Conquer the Welsh Countryside appeared first on VWVortex.



from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2d6hma4
via IFTTT
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Saying Goodbye to the CC V6

For all its size and its global reach, Volkswagen is still, in many ways, a deeply human company. There was, for instance, the Bugatti Veyron an ego project if ever there was one. Then the purchase of Ducati, a move most called folly. And then there was the Phaeton, the Volkswagen that most folks can’t afford. Not only were these moves all strange, I’m sure that they made VW’s accountants furious. None of them made good business sense, but they were all deeply interesting and they all are evidence of the heart that beats at the center of VW. Among these follies is the CC, a car that everyone agrees is rakishly handsome, but that no one really wanted to buy. The car couldn’t last, but the world is brighter for its having been in it. With the approach debut of the Arteon, it seems like a good time to look back on its sadly departing predecessor. The version I drove, because I live in Canada, is a V6 Wolfsburg Edition, which apparently isn’t available in the States. Nor is the V6, not as...
Post a Comment
Read more

T-Prime Makes World Premiere at Beijing

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] The SUV segment is one of the fastest growing segments in the world and Volkswagen is showing the world how to do it. With the new T-Prime Concept GTE that was revealed today, the company is showing off all of the technology you can look for in its coming models. The T-Prime is a full-size hybrid SUV that can go up to 31 miles on a charge and gets 87 mpg. The hybrid power station is good for 375 hp and 516 lb/ft of torque and puts the power down with 4MOTION all wheel drive. It’ll get you up to 60 in six seconds. The concept’s real party piece, though, is its interior, which features exclusively touch, gesture, and voice controls. Everything from the infotainment, to the display, and even the gears are controlled by touch-screen. The T-Prime Concept GTE is bigger than the Touareg, and design elements are likely to find their way into all of their SUVs, of which there will be many. Volkswagen is also announcing that they expect to make an S...
Post a Comment
Read more

Audi Teases the e-tron’s Headlights Ahead of LA Reveal

Audi will unveil its new electric car, the e-tron GT, in just a few short days, but until then, it will do what manufacturers can’t help but do and will tease it mercilessly. The latest teaser images first appeared on Germany’s Bild , and feature some of the EV’s lighting. While the taillights look reasonably familiar, albeit on an interesting, angular surface, the headlights feature a heretofore unseen light shape. The X-shape (or maybe an R-shape, from the right angle) in the middle of the e-tron GT’s headlights set it apart from the rest of the lineup, even the e-tron SUV (whose lights look R8-ish with their angular check-shaped top line.) #Sneak Peek: the #Audi #etron GT concept – stay tuned for the big #world #premiere on November 28. pic.twitter.com/NIg0z6bIwR — AUDI AG (@Audi_Press) November 25, 2018 The long and low sedan will be based on the same platform as the Porsche Taycan, which is said to hit 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds and whose batteries will all be stowed...
Post a Comment
Read more