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114
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(from Volkswagen
Press Release) World premiere of the E-Bugster – an
electrified Beetle!
• Beetle concept
car is powered by an 85 kW E-motor
• Zero emissions vehicle was conceptualized as two-seat
speedster
Wolfsburg / Detroit, 09
January 2012 - For many people, it is the most congenial car of a
new era: The Beetle! The successor to an automotive icon. Its world
premiere took place in April 2011 in New York, and it was launched
on the market in October. Since then, the sportiest Beetle ever has
been ready to perform – with up to 147 kW / 200 PS in power. And
because all Beetle versions are tuned for agility, versions with
less horsepower (from 125 kW / 170 PS in America, from 77 kW / 105
PS in Europe) are still simply fun to drive – mile for mile,
kilometre for kilometre. Now, at the North American International
Auto Show in Detroit, Volkswagen is showing that 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 60 mph in 10.9 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 110 miles (180 km) in the urban
world. And even in an enormous country like the USA, for the
majority of commuters this distance is sufficient to drive to their
workplaces and return home. Since the Volkswagen has a quick
charging function, the battery can be ‘refueled’ within 35 minutes
at suitable charging stations. At home, the battery of the E-Bugster
can also be charged from the 120-Volt outlets that are usual in
America (or from 230-Volt outlets in Europe). The interface for the
charge cable is located below the normal ‘fuel door’ position near
the C-pillar.
Thanks to a new Combined Charging Systems – which was developed in
cooperation with German carmakers Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and
Volkswagen as well as American partners Ford and General Motors /
Opel – the E-Bugster can be ‘filled up’ via an interface using any
of the available charging modalities. Possible are:
•
Single-phase charging with AC current, and
• Ultra-fast DC charging at charging stations.
This will require the
development of a new, uniform industry standard for the plug
connectors of future electric vehicles that will be available to all
manufacturers. And this standardisation even goes beyond the plug
connector 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. As early as in 2013,
units under this name will go into production in such vehicles as
the Golf.
Visions become versions
Bugster? That sounds
familiar. Of course: Ragster! That was in January 2005. Also 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
supplemental identifier ‘E’ for electric models, the American
nickname for the Beetle, ‘Bug’ and the vehicle type ‘speedster’ that
describes an open-top two-seater.
Proportions of a sports car
The E-Bugster is a
Beetle that could hardly be made to look more dynamic. Actually, it
is a sports car. It has a height of less than 1,400 mm, which is
about 90 mm less than that of the hard top Beetle. And the
production model already looks really powerful with its sharply
sculpted proportions. The E-Bugster’s width (1,838 mm) grew by 30
mm, while its length (4,278 mm) is identical to that of the
production car. The E-Bugster displays very unique dynamic styling
from every viewing angle. Design details of production version were
supplemented by new styling elements. In its stance on the road, the
concept car looks as though it were cast as a single piece. This is
due to a very simple fact: in developing the production model
introduced in October 2011, the Beetle design team had already
considered all potential derivatives for future models on its radar
screen of possibilities. And that is in part how a speedster with an
E-motor evolved, the E-Bugster.
Bugster front and rear
In front, it is the
swept-back and wide windscreen that catches the eye; its glass
extends laterally to a point above the A-pillars. The E-Bugster,
which is equipped with LED headlights, is also distinguished by the
highly customized bumpers of the production Beetle: designers
integrated the daytime running lights to the left and right of the
central air intake as bands of LED lights in a C-shape (naturally
mirrored on the right side). Ever since the e-up! (concept car) was
presented in Europe, this form of daytime running light has been a
type of signet among Volkswagen electric vehicle studies. These
styling elements also appear in modified form as reflectors in the
rear bumper, which was also redesigned. The rear windscreen of the
E-Bugster proves that the rear windows of a speedster do not need to
restrict visibility like the arrow slits in castle walls: it is
extremely wide.
Speedster side profile
A speedster needs
swept-back windows and a low roof. The E-Bugster has swept-back
windows and a low roof! First, let us survey the car’s side profile.
Beneath the typically flared wheel housings there are larger 20-inch
versions derived from 18-inch Beetle ‘Twister’ wheels, which are
equipped with size 235/35 R 20 tires. Between the wings, there is
the ‘V’ on the flank that is typical of the most famous Beetle ever.
From the side sill, the viewer’s gaze moves upwards over the large,
smooth homogeneous surface of the door and the contour line above
the door handle that looks as though it were carved by a knife. Just
a few centimetres above this point, the Beetle becomes a speedster:
the designers lengthened the chrome strip of the lower window border
towards the rear; it now runs (as it did once on the New Beetle
Cabriolet) from A-pillar to A-pillar. The hard top of the ‘Bug’
extends in a low arc above this line of chrome. Following the roof
radius – in classic speedster style – is the upper border of the
side windows. The height between the chrome lower window border and
the uppermost roof line is a low 400 mm. And that is how it should
be for a speedster!
Progressive interior
The combination of
high-tech equipment and dynamic performance is also reflected in the
interior. Sport seats and a continuous centre tunnel in body color
underscore the sporty character of the E-Bugster. The use of
aluminium as the material for the door handles and belt guides, and
the lightweight construction styling of the steering wheel also
produce a direct connection between the exterior and interior.
Starting the E-Bugster is a unique experience: the Start button not
only activates the drive system; it also puts a light show into
motion: first, the interior is immersed in a white light, then a
blue light. It begins with a light pulse in the instrument cluster;
from there the light emanates as a thin line of light, just one
millimetre wide, coursing into the door window sills and around the
air nozzles – a kind of visual awakening of the E-Bugster.
