Could an electric Volkswagen Beetle become a reality? Why is the brand considering it?

Electricity brought Frankenstein’s monster to life by assembling pieces from different cars into a single body. And it is electricity that could also bring back the iconic and legendary Beetle for a new market launch, taking advantage of the new wave of models that the market’s shift toward electric vehicles is expected to bring about.

According to the British magazine Autocar, Herbert Diess, the new CEO of Volkswagen, has stated that there is a possibility that the Beetle, the model born from the imagination of Professor Ferdinand Porsche, could return to the market as a model powered solely by electricity, thanks to the greater versatility that the group’s new MEB platform offers for developing electric vehicles. And according to various German and British media, the Board of Management of Volkswagen is reportedly studying whether to approve the development and production of a new, revolutionary Volkswagen Beetle powered exclusively by an electric drive unit.

The revolutionary electric Beetle that has been put on the table would move from a two-door body to a four-door one, and would keep the distinctive rear-wheel drive of the Type 1, the original 1945 Beetle that Porsche designed. This would be possible because Volkswagen would use the group’s new MEB platform in its development, a platform designed to accommodate the new models that the German consortium plans to launch from 2020, and which will underpin the new range of electric vehicles that will be progressively introduced under the ID name.

Why do we speak of bringing it back to life if the New Beetle is still on sale? Simple: Volkswagen has already announced that the current model, on sale since 2011 in its second generation after the Beetle returned in 1997, will have no successor in the German manufacturer’s lineup when its production ends in early 2019. In fact, the brand’s dealerships in various markets are no longer accepting orders for the model.

But now, the head of the VAG Group, Herbert Diess, has once again opened the door by expressing his wish to “introduce a greater number of emotional models” to the brand, complementing its usual models. In that case, a new Beetle powered by electricity looks strongly likely to become possible.

The first of these “emotional” models to reach the market would be the I.D Buzz microbus, which would recreate another of the German manufacturer’s great successes and icons, the iconic Bully van that gave rise to successive generations of the T5 and Caravelle. It would arrive in 2022 and would foreshadow the arrival of the first major wave of conventional electric models from Volkswagen. Earlier, in 2019, the ID Hatchback would anticipate the arrival of models derived from the concepts I.D Crozz SUV and I.D Vizzion saloon, unveiled by Volkswagen at recent motor shows, leaving the launch of an electric SUV variant for the upper segment for a later date.

Although the rumour has been well received by the brand’s followers and by fans of the legendary Beetle, the truth is that Volkswagen itself has neither confirmed nor denied the news. According to Klaus Bischoff, Volkswagen’s head of design, before making any decisions on the matter, Volkswagen must focus on producing its best-selling electric vehicles. The technology behind these vehicles is extremely complicated, and it is advisable to concentrate in order to avoid overloading the company. Once they are launched, it will be the time to consider more exotic and emotional models.”

Even so, Bischoff himself acknowledged the appeal of the idea, stating that the advantages offered by the group’s new MEB platform would allow Volkswagen to broaden the appeal of the Beetle, giving it greater attractiveness and comfort, while preserving its iconic exterior look. “The current Beetle is very attractive, whether as a coupé or as a two-door convertible, but it is limited by the number of units that can be sold, because it occupies a small niche of the market. If the MEB platform is used, the shortest possible wheelbase is that of the future ID Hatchback, which compared with the current Beetle offers a lot of space, so there would be no compromise in functionality. That would make it possible to build a much more attractive Beetle.”

Bischoff confirmed that they have already produced a first sketch of what a four-door Beetle developed on the MEB platform would look like, although he is well aware that another three or four years will pass before a decision can be made to take a new electric Beetle into production at Volkswagen. For Bischoff, electrification opens “a good opportunity to build derivatives efficiently. We have a very flexible platform that allows us to do good things, whether with rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.”