It's bold to lay claim to a vehicle "as revolutionary as" the Volkswagen Beetle before even pulling the wraps off it, but that's what Volkswagen AG did Friday.
DETROIT - It's bold to lay claim to a vehicle "as revolutionary as" the Beetle before even pulling the wraps off it, but that's what Volkswagen AG did Friday.
The German automaker said it will reveal the near-production concept at the 2016 Paris auto show, which has its press preview day Sept. 29 and then runs Oct. 1-16.
The original VW Beetle, a happy little car created under pretty dark global circumstances some 80 years ago, is still seen around American driveways and yards in various forms of drivability and disrepair.
"The concept car has the potential to make history with its completely new vehicle concept," Voklswgaen said in a statement. "The production vehicle which follows will be the first Volkswagen to hit the market based on the new modular electrification kit (MEB)."
Faced with the largest scandal in the history of the company, Volkswagen is looking for a fresh start.
The German automaker has been moving away from diesel powertrains since admitting a year ago to deliberately cheating on emissions tests in millions of its with diesel engines in about half a million cars in the U.S.
The company has agreed to a $15.3 billion settlement with the U.S. agencies and consumers, with about $10 billion going toward owners of the diesel engine-equipped cars at the heart of the scandal.
But as it has been wading through the diesel-emissions scandal, the automaker has said it is also undergoing one of its largest transformations in its 79-year history.
In June, Volkswagen said it plans to launch more than 30 new electric vehicles by 2025, while also becoming an "e-mobility" company.
Volkswagen estimates that in 10 years battery-powered EVs could account for about a quarter of the global car passenger market. The company's own sales of EVs are expected to be between two and three million units in 2025, or about 20 to 25 percent of its total sales.
And back in January, it unveiled the Budd-e EV concept at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Budd-e's styling received a warm reception, with its retro nod to the beloved Volkswagen Bus that became a familiar sight on Grateful Dead tours.
Volkswagen said the Budd-e concept has an electric range of a respectable 373 miles, and can replenish 80 percent of its battery in just 15 minutes of charging. The automaker also said it uses the company's new MEB platform for electric cars, which will be rolled out on production models in the years ahead.
The concept EV set to be released at the Paris Motor Show will reportedly be about the size of the VW Golf. But just how revolutionary will it be? We should find out in a few weeks.