Volkswagen E-Bugster concept car officially unveiled [VIDEO]

The Beetle! - it is the successor to an automotive icon. The new car is considered the sportiest Beetle ever. Now Volkswagen is showing, in an Asian premiere at Auto China in Beijing, how this sportiness can also be transferred to a Beetle with pure electric drive. The E-Bugster was specially designed for this mission: a two-seat Beetle speedster, 85 kW in power, 0 to 100 km/h in 10.8 seconds, with zero emissions yet the sharpest of proportions.

Blue-e-Motion for a clean future The central electric module of the E-Bugster has an innovative design; it weighs just 80 kg. The energy for powering the electric motor is stored in a lithium-ion battery whose modules are housed in a space-saving location behind the front seats. The battery's energy capacity of 28.3 kWh enables a range of at least 180 km in the urban world. And even in an enormous country like China, for the majority of commuters this is sufficient to drive to their workplaces and return home. Since the Volkswagen has a quick charging function, the battery can be ‘refuelled' within 35 minutes at suitable charging stations. At home, the battery of the E-Bugster can also be charged from a conventional electric outlet. The interface for the charge cable is located behind the normal ‘fuel door' near the C-pillar.

Thanks to a new Combined Charging System, the E-Bugster can be ‘filled up' flexibly via one interface using any available charging modalities. Possible are:

Single-phase charging with AC current

Ultra-fast DC charging at charging stations (quick charge)

This will be based on a new, uniform industry standard for the connectors of future electric vehicles that will be available to all manufacturers. And this standardisation goes beyond the plug itself: in the Combined Charging System, the charge controller and the electrical architecture must be able to handle all charging types. This will reduce costs and simplify widespread global implementation of electric mobility.

Charging the battery while braking Just how much energy the driver of the E-Bugster is requesting with the ‘electric pedal' at any moment is shown in a power display. Instruments also include a driving range indicator and a display showing the battery's charge state. Also new in the Beetle is an instrument that shows the driver the intensity of battery regeneration. Regeneration refers to the recovery of braking energy: as soon as the driver's foot leaves the accelerator pedal and/or brakes, kinetic energy is converted into electricity, which is stored in the battery. This increases the driving range of the E-Bugster. By the way, Volkswagen calls the complete electric drive unit Blue-e-Motion.

Visions become versions Bugster? That sounds familiar. Of course: Ragster! That was in January 2005 in Detroit, where Volkswagen presented a New Beetle as a speedster with a swept-back ragtop (folding roof) - the Ragster. A design vision for the Beetle of tomorrow - wider, lower, sportier. In 2005, the slogan for the concept's feasibility was expressed as: "Everything is conceivable!" In 2012, it had advanced to: "Everything is feasible!" Because the idea of the Ragster - wider, lower, sportier - became a reality (with the exception of the ragtop) in October 2011 in the current production Beetle. So, what does the name E-Bugster actually signify? That is easy to explain: a combination of the ‘E' for electric models, the American nickname for the Beetle, ‘Bug' and the vehicle type ‘speedster' that describes a low, open-top two-seater.

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