The German automaker unveiled the electric vehicle concept Tuesday night in Las Vegas ahead of the International Consumer Electronics Show there Jan. 6-9.
DETROIT, MI - Volkswagen is calling it a zero-emissions, avant-garde van, or Budd-e for short.
The German automaker unveiled the electric vehicle concept Tuesday night in Las Vegas ahead of the International Consumer Electronics Show there Jan. 6-9.
The company said Budd-e has an electric range of a respectable 373 miles. It takes just 15 minutes to replenish 80 percent of its battery on a charge.
The Budd-e is powered by front and rear motors on all four wheels. It has a top speed of 93 miles per hour.
It's more than an electric vehicle, though. According to VW it is also a mobile interface that is connected with the world around it. That means that it can communicate seamlessly with your "smart" home or office, using the latest technology.
Inside the Budd-e, knobs and buttons have been replaced by individual displays that utilize touch and gesture controls.
Some of its styling cues are a homage to the old VW Microbus that was built from the 1950s to the 1970s. But Budd-e is all about the near future, demonstrating what electric mobility could be like in 2019, VW said.
It uses the company's new MEB platform for electric cars, which will be rolled out on production models in the years ahead.
It's not immediately clear if it will make in appearance at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week.
David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com, follow him on Twitter or find him on Facebook.