Volkswagen teases an all-electric dune buggy concept

Volkswagen revealed its new electric dune buggy concept vehicle, a modern reinterpretation of the classic American dune buggies that were first created in the 1960s. Like the original dune buggies, which were made from modified parts taken from VW Beetles, the concept vehicle is based on the ”MEB” platform that will power Volkswagen’s forthcoming lineup of electric vehicles.

The MEB acronym comes from Volkswagen’s native German, “Modulare E-Antriebs-Baukasten,” which translates to “modular electric drive toolkit.” The company is betting big on its MEB platform, which will serve as the basis for the 10 million electric cars it wants to sell. Volkswagen says it created the electric dune buggy concept to show that a “fully electric platform can be used for more than just large-scale series production models,” and that it can also facilitate the development of low-volume niche vehicles.

True to its classic form, the new dune buggy has no fixed roof or doors, and it keeps the same oversized off-road tires and open-side sills. “A buggy is more than a car. It is vibrancy and energy on four wheels,“ said Klaus Bischoff, head designer at Volkswagen. “These attributes are embodied by the new e-buggy, which demonstrates how a modern, non-retro interpretation of a classic can look and, more than anything else, the emotional bond that electric mobility can create.”

Volkswagen’s electric dune buggy will be shown for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show, which starts on March 7th.