If you thought Volkswagen’s all-electric BUDD-e concept that debuted earlier this month at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was all hype, think again.
CAR is reporting that Volkswagen has greenlit the microbus for production sometime before the end of the decade. The new “slugworm” will be based on VW’s MEB modular electric platform. “[The] basic idea is to develop a modular toolkit and take this flat battery idea into serial production, one motor on the front, one on the rear. The California and Transporter will continue separately as combustion engines,” said Dr. Volkmar Tanneberger, head of Volkswagen’s electric development.
More of a surprise is that the real-world microbus will look very similar to the BUDD-e concept, according to Dr. Tanneberger. In the fallout of the German automaker’s dieselgate scandal, some might be intrigued that VW is building such a seemingly niche product, but in fact, the BUDD-e’s all-electric “SUV/crossover” credentials fit perfectly within the brand’s plan to shift focus from diesel models.
The company recently announced that it will introduce 20 more electrified vehicles by 2020, so expect several more EV-versions of current cars or totally new models to crop up in the automaker’s production schedule shortly. There’s a good chance the Beetle will be among the electrified platforms, meaning hippies will have more than one option to relive their glory days in the most environmentally friendly way possible.
As for the concept, the BUDD-e name is a play on Bulli, the original name of the VW Microbus in Germany. Unlike the original, however, the concept packs two electric motors (one at each axle) for a combined 373 miles of range and a potential top speed of 93 mph.
Considering the European’s test cycle is a bit different from our own here in the states, the production Microbus (assuming it adopts a similar powertrain) should offer a range somewhere in the 200-300 mile ballpark. Then again, battery advancements between now and 2020 could not only improve overall range, but rapid charge times even beyonf the BUDD-e’s 15-minute refill to 80 percent capacity.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.