Volkswagen's unrelenting onslaught of electric vehicle releases continues with the announcement of a new EV dune buggy concept. Like the I.D. Buzz, the new car, expected to be called I.D. Buggy, takes inspiration from a past icon in VW’s history: the Beetle-based beach buggies of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
The concept is set to be revealed in full at the Geneva Motor Show in March, with only a couple of dark teaser images to whet our appetite until then. The nods to the original are clear though: chunky, off-road tyres sit within huge wheel arches that flare out from the sides of the doorless cabin.
• Volkswagen I.D. Buzz concept review
As with other I.D. models, the nose features a backlit Volkswagen logo, while the headlights take inspiration from the round spotlights of the original. Extra protection for the buggy and its occupants come in the form of a rear roll bar and a skid plate to shield the floor pan.
That floorpan is a variation of the VW Group's MEB platform, and the concept has been produced, in part, to demonstrate its versatility.
While the original buggies were rear-engined and rear-wheel drive, the concept’s use of electric motors would enable the possibility of a twin-motor setup for four wheel drive. As yet, however, no specs about the concept’s drive configuration, range or power output have been released.
While a production model isn’t yet confirmed, the concept shows that, thanks to MEB, niche models such as this are a possibility in future.
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