Volts-wagen: VW converts classic Beetle to electric power

Volkswagen has fitted the electric powertrain from its e-Up city car to an original Beetle. The car will be displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Electric Volkswagen Beetle

Volkswagen has given a classic Beetle a heart transplant. It’s goodbye to the air-cooled chunter that defined seven decades of the original people’s car, and hello to the futuristic hum of electric power. The Beetle will be on display at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Volkswagen has teamed up with eClassics for the project. However, the powertrain, including battery, transmission and motor, is borrowed from VW’s e-Up electric city car.

Electric Volkswagen Beetle

The result is perhaps the heaviest classic Beetle ever made. By comparison with modern cars, however, it’s a featherweight, at 1,280kg. It’ll go more than 120 miles on a charge, and can be recharged up to 90 miles of range within an hour.

Will you be able to buy one? Well, Volkswagen is talking up the capability of its components division, so there’s a very real possibility.

“The electrified Beetle combines the charm of our classic car with the mobility of the future,” said Thomas Schmall of Volkswagen.

Electric Volkswagen Beetle

“Innovative e- components from Volkswagen Group Components are under the bonnet – we work with them to electrify historically important vehicles, in what is an emotional process.

“We are also providing Beetle owners with a professional conversion solution, using production parts of the highest quality.”

While Volkswagen provides the parts, eClassics is responsible for fusing car and powertrain. 

“We are proud that we and Volkswagen Group Components could get the show on the road with this project. We are also looking forward to seeing many e-Beetles on the street soon,” said MD of eClassics, Dennis Murschel.

More electric classics coming soon

Electric Volkswagen Beetle

  • Britain is one of the CHEAPEST places in Europe to own an electric car

What’s perhaps even more interesting is that the Beetle won’t be a one-off. The marque is investigating the possibility of electrifying other classics from its back-catalogue. VW is even considering infusing classics with its latest Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB) electric car tech. 

“We are already working together to prepare the platform for the Bus,” explained Thomas Schmall. “An e-Porsche 356 could also be pursued in the future.”

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Ethan Jupp
Ethan Jupp
I'm Content Editor at MR. Road trips music and movies are my vices. Perennially stuck between French hot hatches and Australian muscle cars.

1 COMMENT

  1. I’ve always been an e car freak. I’m interested in the possibility of covering the roof of the vehicles with Flexible PV’s.to trickle in or recover some power to the batteries while at the store or work all day. The price you MSRP is comparable to the Prius. I’ve owned 3 of them. To me now, it’s the best answer we have until someone gets it right. When do you think we in the US will be able to get any of your e cars?

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