Long-Range Electric VW Microbus Concept To Debut At CES

The rumor of an electric Volkswagen Bus concept to be shown at next month's Consumer Electronics Show first appeared in September, just before the VW diesel emission scandal erupted.

In the wake of a pledge to boost its vehicle electrification efforts, Volkswagen has now confirmed that it will show a concept for an electric Microbus at CES.

But one phrase stands out in the VW press release issued yesterday.

The sentence in question reads, "The world premiere marks the beginning of a new era of affordable long-distance electromobility."

And it's the "affordable long-distance" part that's really interesting--because, thus far, the two future electric vehicles VW Group has discussed so far are both luxurycars.

They're the production version of the Audi e-Tron Quattro Concept SUV (possibly to be known as the Q6), and the next-generation Volkswagen Phaeton large luxury sedan, now postponed until 2020 or so.

2011 Volkswagen Bulli Concept live photos

An "affordable" new VW Bus with a fully-electric drivetrain that provided long-distance travel (200 miles or more) would be a major step forward for VW's so-far theoretical plans to pump up its plug-in electric portfolio.

As a smaller and lighter vehicle than either of the luxury cars, it might be able to use a lower-capacity battery to achieve the same range.

And that might give VW its first affordable 200-mile electric car--and a stylish, iconic one to boot.

The company has shown two concepts for new VW Bus vehicles over the years, starting in 2001 with the VW Microbus. A decade later came the Volkswagen Bulli Microvan Concept of 2011 ("Bulli" is the bus's nickname in Germany).

In the spirit of the old bus, the Bulli featured a split-folding front bench seat, another bench behind, and the ability to stow the rear seat for more cargo capacity.

It could even be made into a camper by reclining the seats to make a sleeping platform--just like the old Sixties and Seventies VW campers.

Original Volkswagen Microbus and the 2016 Transporter

This year, during a roundtable at April's New York Auto Show, then-board member Heinz-Jacob Neusser said VW developers and engineers were working on a revived Bulli, powered by a battery pack in the floor that feeds an electric motor driving the front wheels.

The small size of a front electric motor would let the new van have a short, blunt nose--one of three design cues required to make it a "real" VW bus, according to Neusser. (The other two are a boxy center section and a wide rear roof pillar.)

Yesterday, the British magazine Autocar reported that VW had signed off on the new bus, which could go into production as early as 2017 at its assembly plant in Puebla, Mexico..

That means the new bus almost surely uses the company's MQB architecture, which will underpin up to 4 million cars a year.

Volkswagen Microbus Concept, 2001 Detroit Auto Show

They range from the current Golf compact hatchback up to a future mid-size seven-seat crossover, but the electric Microbus seems likely to be smaller than mid-size.

A new VW Bus is likely to be more van-like than that SUV, which is to be built at the Tennessee plant where the Passat mid-size sedan is now assembled.

Meanwhile, the VW van concept for CES will also demonstrate "the increasing interconnectedness of the car" and "new display and operating concepts," VW says.

It will be revealed during a keynote speech by Dr. Herbert Diess, chairman of the Volkswagen passenger-car brand, that kicks off at 8:30 pm on Tuesday, January 5.

VW emissions scandal: Muller announced as new VW Group CEO

Current Porsche boss has been announced as the successor to Martin Winterkorn, with major changes to the company's board of management

Porsche boss Matthias Müller has been announced as the new CEO of the VW Group, replacing Martin Winterkorn, who resigned from the top position at the scandal-hit firm on Wednesday.

Müller, who had emerged as the frontrunner for the top job at VW earlier this week, is said to have signed a contract that lasts through to 2020. Several other major changes were also announced, as the VW Group heavily revised its management structure to focus on more responsibility and governance at regional level.

“Mr Müller is happy to take this on at difficult times for the company. Müller knows the VW Group and will immediately set upon his new tasks with his whole strength. We particularly appreciate his critical view of things," said Berthold Huber, deputy chairman of the supervisory board for the VW Group.

“The emissions test stories are a moral and political disaster for VW. Illegal behaviour of development engineers in development of engines has shocked the public. I would like to apologise in every form in front of the public, the authorities and our investors,” he added.

Huber confirmed that figures at the VW Group would be suspended - but stopped short of announcing the much-expected departures of several key figures in the engineering division. “The board of management, according to latest findings, has recommended to immediately suspend some employees until final investigations have been made," he said. "An American legal company has been put in charge of further investigations and they are also to prepare.”

New VW boss Matthias Müller said: "My most urgent task is to win back trust for the Volkswagen Group – by leaving no stone unturned and with maximum transparency, as well as drawing the right conclusions from the current situation. Under my leadership, Volkswagen will do everything it can to develop and implement the most stringent compliance and governance standards in our industry. If we manage to achieve that then the Volkswagen Group with its innovative strength, its strong brands and above all its competent and highly motivated team has the opportunity to emerge from this crisis stronger than before."

He went on to say that he was only recently asked to take on the role, saying: “The supervisory board asked me today to take on the position of chairman of the board of VW. I am grateful for this confidence. I take on this role in times where our company faces challenges it has never had to face before, but I take on this challenge with confidence. I will do everything it takes to win back confidence of our employees, investors, staff and the public. Our patience will be tested as much as yours but speed is less essential than being thorough." 

He added, "At no point was the safety of our vehicles or our customers in danger. That is important to me.”

Stephan Weil, a member of VW's supervisory board, paid tribute to outgoing boss, Martin Winterkorn, saying: “The farewell of Martin Winterkorn is a very special moment. A lot is owed to Professor Winterkorn.”

The supervisory board also approved a new management structure for the group and the brands as well as for the North America region.

Berthold Huber said: “The new structure strengthens the brands and regions, gives the group board of management the necessary leeway for strategy and steering within the company, and lays a focus on the targeted development of future-oriented fields.”

Winfried Vahland, formerly chairman of the board of directors at Skoda, has now taken over as boss of a reorganised North American region, which now includes USA, Mexico and Canada combined. His successor at Skoda will be Bernhard Maier, who was until now sales and marketing of Porsche.

Significantly, Michael Horn, the under-fire president and CEO of Volkswagen Group USA, has retained his job despite earlier rumours that he would be axed. It is understood that US dealer groups lobbied for him to stay in his role.

Jürgen Stackmann has been shifted from his job as chairman of Seat to take over Christian Klingler’s role as sales and marketing boss at Volkswagen.

Klingler is leaving the company with immediate effect, with the reason for his departure given as “part of long-term planned structural changes and as a result of differences with regard to business strategy”. But Volkswagen stressed that his departure from the company was “not related to recent events”. Matthias Müller will lead the sales department at group level in the interim.

The new Seat chairman is Luca de Meo, currently sales and marketing chief at Audi.

The board has decided to abolish the production department at Volkswagen Group management level, giving more responsibility to the individual car brands and also to geographic regions.

Huber said: “Going forward, the brands and regions will have greater independence with regard to production. So it follows that they should also hold the responsibility for these activities.”

The group is also going to “scale back [its] complexity”, said Huber.

Existing corporate bodies, structures and processes will be streamlined at group level, in particular by strengthening the brands and regional accountability. To that end the Volkswagen brand will introduce a management structure with four regions, each led by a local CEO with a direct reporting line to the brand chairman, Herbert Diess.

VW’s group reorganisation includes the creation of a Porsche brand group, including both the Bugatti and Bentley marques, which will utilise use of what bosses term “the sports car and mid-engined toolkit.

No director has yet been announced as head of the new division, but insiders believe Wolfgang Dürheimer, who had a long career at Porsche and currently leads both Bentley and Bugatti, is the strongest contender.

This Audi brand group, incorporating Lamborghini and Ducati, will continue, but the whole “toolkit” strategy will come under closer guidance from the group CEO. The volume brands — Volkswagen, Seat and Skoda — which utilise the “transverse toolkit” will each be represented by separate members on the board of management.

Audi Q6 Electric 'SUV Coupe' Arrives In 2018 Or 2019: CEO

Purported Audi Q6 electric crossover teaser image. Image via Autocar.

It's now clear that we'll see a slew of all-electric luxury vehicles with ranges of 200 miles or more from German makers Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz starting in 2017 or 2018.

What's less clear is whether those vehicles will be developed as electric cars from the ground up or whether they'll be adapted versions of gasoline models.

The current BMW i3 electric car has no gasoline-only counterpart, for example, so it's an example of the former--but the Volkswagen e-Golf is all but indistinguishable from gasoline and diesel Golfs.

One of those German luxury electric cars seems likely to share much of its understructure, if not its body shell, with gasoline models.

According to Britain's Auto Express, the upcoming Audi A6 electric "SUV coupe" will be "sexy and sporty"--and arrive in 2018 or 2019.

Audi Q7 e-tron

Audi confirmed production of the Q6 electric car at its annual meeting last month, releasing a teaser sketch that indeed showed a low, sleek coupe-like hatchback with large wheels.

Then Audi CEO Rupert Stadler told Auto Express at the Shanghai Auto Show that the Q6 would have at least 500 km (310 miles) of range, calling that distance "a must."

Stadler was likely quoting range numbers from the European test cycle, so the rated range of the Audi Q6 on the U.S. EPA cycle might come in at more like 250 miles.

Still, that's within range of the Tesla Model S, whose most recent entry-level 70D model is rated at 240 miles.

2015 Tesla Model S 70D, Apr 2015 [photo: David Noland]

Stadler also suggested that the Q6 would arrive in 2018 or 2019, which he called the right time for launch when anticipated DC quick-charging infrastructure (using the CCS protocol adopted by all German and U.S. makers) would be ready.

But industry insiders doubt that Audi will go to the expense that BMW has in developing a unique platform or "architecture" for the Q6, which will be a low-volume vehicle for the automaker.

Instead, it will likely be adapted from the company's new SUV platforms--whether the Q5 mid-size or the Q7 large SUV that was unveiled in February.

It would thus follow the model of the Audi R8 e-tron, which is adapted from the second-generation R8 two-seat sport coupe.

Audi R8 e-tron

Mercedes-Benz is rumored to be developing its own platform--codenamed "EcoLuxe"--for future electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.

But so far Audi's parent, the VW Group, appears to be sticking with adaptations of existing vehicles and platforms to economize on development costs.