Volkswagen of America has revealed details of its electrified 1972 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus, which is being constructed by west coast EV conversion specialist EV West to demonstrate the potential of an electric powertrain in vintage vehicles.
The powertrain and 35.8kWh battery system from a donor 2017 e-Golf gives the e-Bus an approximate range of 125 miles (201km).
The powertrain will reside in the rear compartment of the e-Bus, which was previously occupied by a stock air-cooled 60hp four-cylinder engine.
An independent rear suspension is mated to a transverse driveline, which is contained in a single unit that houses an 100kW synchronous AC permanent magnet electric motor, one-speed transmission and charging system.
The battery units are contained inside custom engineered, reinforced and fireproof enclosures located under the front seats and in the former location of the fuel tank.
The stock long-throw shifter remains but now actuates park, reverse, neutral, drive, and regenerative braking modes familiar of the e-Golf.
Furthermore, the e-Bus will be fitted with a classically styled multi-function digital EV gauge in the dashboard, which allows the operator to cycle through multiple views and monitor vehicle outputs.
“Their passion for classic-car culture and commitment to renewable energy made EV West the ideal choice for this project,” said Mathew Renna, VP G4, Volkswagen North American Region.
“We thought, who better to see if the e-Golf powertrain would be the perfect fit for our older vehicles. It’s great to see that the spirit of hot rodding is going to live on into the electric age.”
