It would be wrong to believe that a remastered Microbus would absolve Volkswagen of its TDI diesel-emissions cheating sins, but such a vehicle certainly wouldn’t add to the brand’s woes. Legions of VW fans have been waiting for a proper Microbus replacement for years, and recent rumors have the debut of a new, possibly electric Microbus down as imminent. Volkswagen might have just confirmed the rumors, announcing it will reveal a fully electric concept at the 2016 Consumer Electronics show next month in Las Vega. The company also released a single photo of a vehicle that appears to be both tall and boxy.
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While it’s a stretch at this point to call the shrouded concept car pictured above the reincarnated Microbus, supporting evidence exists. According to Autocar, the new ’Bus is supposedly slated for debut at CES before going on sale in gasoline, diesel, and electric forms soon after. We pestered VW for more details when that report hit the wire, but were given the typical polite “no comment.” We also note that the show car has a huge VW badge, a hallmark of the old Microbus.
-Of its concept, VW had this to say: “Volkswagen will present a completely new concept car at the CES, to illustrate the major changes that the car is set to go through in the next few years. First and foremost the world premiere marks the beginning of a new era of affordable long-distance electromobility.”
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A few things about that statement are compelling, not the least of which is the mention of “long-distance electromobility.” This implies the electric range of the VW concept may be much closer to that of Tesla’s vehicles instead of, say, the Nissan Leaf, which offers a maximum of 107 miles. A van format would lend itself to such a vehicle, too, as a boxy shape provides more flexibility for packaging additional battery cells without intruding too much on passenger and cargo space. As for the concept itself, if it weren’t for the badge, we’d assume it was a previous-generation Ford Edge, as the grille and headlamp treatment ape that crossover’s. But if this really is the new Microbus, we’ll get over it.
-from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com/microbus-is-that-you-volkswagen-previews-new-concept/
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