From：Greg Kable 2019-03-05 16:50:05
Contemporary take on original Manx Meyers buggy showcases versatility of German car maker’s new MEB electric car platform
Volkswagen has reinvented the classic beach buggy as a contemporary electric-powered open-top offering with the unveiling of its new ID. Buggy concept on the eve of the 2019 Geneva motor show.
The new two-seater, which Volkswagen claims could be produced in a variety of different versions with either rear- or four-wheel drive, has been created to illustrate the versatility of the German car maker’s new MEB (Modularen Elektrik Baukasten) electric vehicle platform.
Set to underpin a wide range of upcoming electric-powered Volkswagen models, including the German car maker’s first dedicated electric vehicle, the new ID. 3 hatchback due be unveiled before the end of the year, the MEB platform supports a wide range of driveline combinations in front-, rear- and four-wheel drive formats as well as varying battery combinations.
For the ID. Buggy the MEB platform uses a rear-mounted electric motor – a layout that mirrors that of the flat four-cylinder petrol-powered beach buggies made popular by the original Manx Meyers launched in 1964 - developing 150kW and 310Nm. The synchronous unit drives the rear wheels through a fixed ratio gearbox, providing the new Volkswagen concept with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 7.2sec and a limited top speed of 160km/h.
Electric energy for the motor is stored in a 62kWh lithium-ion battery mounted within the concept’s flat floor structure and front end – the latter of which also houses the power electronics unit that is used to convert direct current (DC) electricity into alternating current (AC) electricity to run the electric motor.
While it is yet to reveal a weight figure for its latest concept, Volkswagen says the ID. Buggy’s relatively small battery is capable of providing it with a range of up to 250km under the latest WLTP test procedure.
With a charging capacity of 100kW, it also claims the battery of its latest concept can be charged to an 80 per cent state-of-charge within 30 minutes.
As well as showcasing the ID. Buggy at the Geneva motor show this year, Volkswagen is also previewing its plans for a mobile charging station service, which it says is close to production and planned to go into service in 2020. It works on the principle of a power bank, similar to that used to charge smartphones, albeit on a much larger and powerful scale, with charging capacity of up to 360kWh.
As an alternative to the rear-wheel drive layout of its new concept, Volkswagen says it is possible to provide the ID. Buggy with a second electric motor within the front axle of the ID. Buggy to provide it with four-wheel drive capability through the use of what it calls an electronic propeller shaft, a wiring loom used to connect the front and rear axles.
The ID. Buggy is the fifth in a series of concepts created to preview the models planned to support Volkswagen’s ID. electric car sub-brand, following on from the original ID. Hatch, ID. Buzz, ID. Crozz and ID Vizzion.
With an exterior design that draws its inspiration from the Volkswagen Beetle based beach buggies of the 1960s, the ID. Buggy’s mission is to “take the driving fun of the past into the age of electric mobility”. As well as being conceived for driving over unpaved tracks, dunes and beaches, Volkswagen says it is also predestined for warm evenings in the city.
“The design of the ID. Buggy is the modern retro-free interpretation of an icon. Unmistakably a buggy. And yet completely reconceived,” says Volkswagen brand design boss, Klaus Bischoff.
It updates the look of the original Manx Meyers beach buggy with what Bischoff describes as a friendly face featuring a low set bumper and round headlamps, which receive round day time running lights and pupil like dipped and main beam projectors. “It’s a design cue that can be traced back to the Beetle and Microbus,” he says.
The unadorned body does without a grille or doors of any kind. As with the original beach buggy, the reinforced windscreen is freestanding, without any additional support. Roll-over protection is provided by a sturdy looking structure behind the cabin. The rear, meanwhile, mirrors the look up front, with round tail lamps and a bumper that mirrors the shape of that up front.
The wheels are 18-in all round and come shod with 255/55 profile front and 285/60 profile BF Goodrich All Terrain tires.
Protection from sun and rain is provided by a composite fabric roof. It fastens to the windscreen header rail and clips integrated into the roll-over structure.
At 4063mm in length, 1890mm in width and 1463mm in height, the ID. Buggy is 10mm longer, a good 149mm wider and 17mm higher than the existing sixth-generation Volkswagen Polo. It also rides on a wheelbase of 2650mm and tracks that measure 1589mm at the front and 1598mm at the rear.
The minimalist theme used for the exterior is also present within the interior, which goes without a dashboard of any kind. Instead, many of the controls for the ID. Buggy are grouped within a hexagonal-shaped steering wheel with a touch-sensitive surface.
Gears selection is via a small controller to the right of the steering wheel, with information displayed on a digital screen ahead of the driver. The materials used throughout are waterproof, while anti-slip knobs integrated into the floor. The seats feature integral headrests, with the upper seat belt anchor points also positioned within the roll-over structure.
During the unveiling of the I.D. Buggy in Geneva Volkswagen reiterated its intention to offer the MEB not only to rival car makers but also to low volume manufacturers and start-up companies seeking to gain a foothold in the burgeoning electric car market, saying, “It has the potential to become the new technical basis for the e-mobility for many manufacturers”.
Supporting this claim, Volkswagen says the aluminium, steel and plastic body used by the ID. Buggy is fully self-supporting and can be detached from the from the MEB platform.
