Volkswagen has officially announced the return of its Microbus, according to a press release on the New York Auto Giant website.
The new Microbus, which will be all electric, was unveiled as a concept car at the Detroit Auto Show, the posting said. Volkswagen has green-lighted production, although no official date has been set. It is speculated it could be around 2021-2022, the posting said.
"Emotional cars are significant for the brand," Herbert Diess, brand chief for Volkswagen, said in the posting. "We are selling loads of Beetles still, particularly in U.S. markets. But we also have the Microbus that we showed, which we recently decided we will build."
The new Microbus will have electric motors on each axle and be able to power each wheel individually. It will most likely have the same exterior dimensions as recent Microbus models, but with more interior space since there's no gas tank.
The new Microbus is likely to have Level 3-Plus autonomous technology similar to what's found on some Tesla and Mercedes-Benz models, plus improved range and technology capabilities compared to the concept-car version of the Microbus, the posting said.
"The entire design is immaculate with its homogeneous surfaces and monolithic silhouette. The future and origins of Volkswagen design DNA combine here to create a new icon," Klaus Bischoff, head of design for Volkswagen, said in the posting.
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