A VW bus for the next generation
Posted by staff / May 18, 2012
Plenty of boomers have fond memories of VW buses and even a lucky few of their offspring, so Canadian designer Alexandre Verdier decided to update this classic into a sleek, green camping machine.
The Verdier van will be equipped with a 4-speed automatic turbocharged bio-diesel hybrid drivetrain, so when you aren’t running on electricity you’re running on recycled veggie oil. The integrated Sun Tracker solar panel hooked up to a GPS and an onboard computer will position the solar array for optimum charging.
“The solar array is one of the most interesting aspects of the car,” Verdier says. “I am using a body design similar to that of the VW Westfalia so that I can maximize the size of the panels but still maintain a van that is compact and kind of like a small house.”
Unfortunately, if it ever goes into production, it’s going to take a heck of a lot more than love and peace to get your hands on one as Verdier estimates the cost would be about $129K or $69,000 (no price pun intended, we think) for the stripped down version. Darn shame in this day and age no one can come up with an affordable vehicle one can live out of.
Full story at Wired via Dark Roasted Blend.
The article is old and the project is dead – do a search for "Volkswagen AG et al v. Verdier Microbus and Camper , Inc. et al" and you will see what I mean. Something about trademarks. I really liked the concept though. VW’s new van concept ‘Bulli’ looks too much like a small Ford Econoline van.
[…] undefined Plenty of boomers have fond memories of VW buses and even a lucky few of their offspring, so Canadian designer Alexandre Verdier decided … […]