microbus
Volkswagen's new Microbus is even more 'hippie' than the original
Have you always wished you could ride in an iconic 1960s Volkswagen Microbus? Well, soon you'll be able to, and what's more, it's electric and drives itself. Volkswagen introduced the ID Buzz concept car at this year's Detroit Auto Show on Monday. The concept vehicle from the German automaker is a nod to the beloved Volkswagen Microbus, Volkswagen's second car, which it introduced in 1950. The original Microbus was popularized during the Hippie movement in the 1960s.
Return of the VW Microbus
Volkswagen's new I.D. Buzz concept is a self-driving, battery-powered minivan with a style that hearkens back to the Type 2 "Microbus" of the 1950s and 1960s. The very green machine can go 270 miles on a full charge and also sprint to 60 mph in 5 seconds, thanks to the combined 369 horsepower of its front and rear electric motors. When its autonomous I.D. Pilot mode is engaged, a rectangular, spokeless steering wheel tucks away into the dashboard as small disc-shaped laser scanners rise up from the four corners of the roof. This LIDAR system works along with cameras, ultrasonic sensors and cloud-connected navigation to take full control of the vehicle. The three-row interior allows for both front captain's chairs to be turned toward the rear of the vehicle when it's doing the driving to create a lounge space, complete with a central table.