Electric Beetle? VW boss comments on classic comeback

VW relies on electric cars. In the past three years alone, three new Stromers from the ID series have been presented, and more are already on the horizon. VW CEO Herbert Diess does not want to rule out the possibility that, in addition to the expected electric models, there will also be a relaunch of the popular Beetle with an electric drive.

the VW boss Herbert Diess does the honors in the form of an Ask-Me-Anything (AMA) on Reddit – that alone is already a small sensation and caused surprises and even enthusiasm among many participants in the online forum. In addition to technical questions about the future of autonomous driving at Volkswagen and the software for the current electric models of the ID series, there were also more offbeat topics.

Beetle comeback as an electric car: Diess does not say no

Prominent among them: Does the classic VW Beetle – most recently Anglicized in the more modern versions to the Beetle – have a comeback as an electric car in front of it? This was the comment of a user to the CEO of VW, straight out: “Bring back the Beetle as an electric car.” Anyone who expected that Diess would not bother to react to this is wrong – the AMA was apparently taken literally.

And so Herbert Diess gives the ID.Beetle, Elektrokäfer or E-Bzzzz – there are still no limits to creativity when it comes to naming – no cancellation (Source: Reddit):

The most emotional car in our history is the Bulli. Bringing this icon back to life was my first priority. But yes, many other emotional cars are also possible on our customizable MEB platform.

“But yes” – that sounds promising, even if it were only a very vague approval in the direction of the E-Beetle. Rumors of a return of the battery-powered Beetle have been around for a while, only they are not very concrete so far. The CEO’s statement does not change that.

Which speaks for the return

However, there are a few points that speak in favor of this: As Diess himself points out – and also the history of the beetle/Beetle shows – people at VW like to recycle a historic success model. The best example is the ID.Buzz mentioned by Diess, which will be officially presented in March. The Beetle brings with it the focus on emotional cars that the VW boss addresses.

The other classic will soon be electric, the ID.Buzz:

The electric drive could also give the Beetle a comeback that is far more true to the original than the previous new editions. A possible ID.Beetle could be built on the now well-tested MEB platform – and equipped with the classic rear-wheel drive. Connoisseurs of the original could get so much of the old driving experience.

With its rather modest size in today’s comparison, the Beetle would also fit well into VW’s ID.Life concept, with which one can adapt to a modern, urban and environmentally conscious target group wants to judge. We remain curious whether VW actually gets the Beetle out of the mothball box.