Volkswagen will unveil a new Golf-sized electric concept car at the upcoming Paris Motor Show.
These sketches provide a glimpse of what VW cars could look like in a few years’ time, with various features set to dictate the styling of the German carmaker’s future product range.
The concept car “has the potential to make history” and is “as revolutionary as the Beetle” was in the 1940s before it went on to become the world’s best-selling car that century, according to a VW statement.
Although a Golf-sized electric car is already on sale – the ‘eGolf’ – VW insists that this concept will precede an all-new production vehicle and will be the first to use a new electric-focused ‘skateboard’ chassis, known as the modular electrification kit (or MEB – its German acronym).
Many of the design traits in these sketches are straight out of concept la-la land, most notably that hexagonal steering wheel, the wheel trims, the wide arches and the sliding rear doors.
However, the blue flashes around the bottom could make an appearance, albeit toned-down, while we’d like to think those circles on the roof are solar panels, capable of capturing energy to power less demanding functions like the stereo or headlights.
The resulting production car will also be a “mobile device on wheels” with a round-the-clock internet connection, giving the car a permanent link to the digital ecosystem. One of the guys leading the project says that this ‘always-on’ idea is “perfect for the EV”, which can drive for 250 miles on just one charge – more than twice that of the current electric Golf.
VW reckons the new model will boast best-in-class interior space, thanks to how the batteries are ‘sandwiched’ between the front and rear axles.
The fact that the car is electric is telling too, suggesting that Volkswagen is intent on making amends for the so-called ‘Dieselgate’ emissions scandal, which saw sneaky software alter exhaust output to help certain VW Group models cheat emissions tests.
Volkswagen says it will have fixed all European cars affected by the scandal by autumn 2017, at a total cost of at least $15 billion in legal costs and compensation.
The brand has already stated that it wants to sell one million VW-branded EVs by 2025, and this new electric design study hints that VW could eventually drop petrol and diesel in favour of an all-electric range.
We’ll see what the real-life concept looks like when it debuts in the French capital on October 2nd…
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