At the 2005 North American International Show, Volkswagen introduced the New Beetle Ragster concept. It was a second-generation Beetle convertible with a much lower roofline and its name was conjured by crossing the words “ragtop” and “speedster”.
Fast-forward six years, and the “People’s Car” company (for that’s what Volkswagen literally means in German) is launching a similar concept at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show .
It’s called the E-Bugster, with the “E” standing for electric, “Bug” for the U.S. nickname of the Beetle, and "ster" for speedster.
Based on the latest Beetle, the E-Bugster is a coupe that looks quite impressive thanks to its much lower roof, black A-pillars, wide C-pillars and chunky 19-inch alloys.
But all that’s to be expected from a motor show-bound concept model. The real interesting parts lie beneath its bodywork. You see, while the “Bugster” will most likely never progress from the concept stage, what powers it will.
The propulsion system comprises of an 85 kW (114HP) electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery pack that is mounted under the boot and the rear bench –coincidentally, reminding us of the original Beetle's layout.
However, that’s where the similarities end as the all-electric E-Bugster has zero emissions and a range of 100 miles (160 km). The battery pack is recharged via a plug located under the VW logo and is compatible with both 120V and 240V chargers as well as quick chargers that provide an 80 percent charge in just 30 minutes.
VW calls the electric propulsion system “Blue-e-motion” and has already announced that it will be used in future electric vehicles such as the Golf Blue-e-Motion.
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