VW is determined to become the number one car company in the US, and with sales up by a staggering 26% since last year and a slew of new products, German ingenuity seems poised to conquer stateside. Their new line-up includes the Jetta hybrid and the E-Bugster, a concept car, both of which VW debuted at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Even though the Jetta is a real, ready to drive car, as it so often happens the E-Bugster concept got all the buzz. It's easy to see why. First, the Bug has always been the most popular sibling in a family of over achievers, and this new version is like the original Bug, only stretched out. But the similarities end there.
The E-Bugster is an all-electric coupe, a sporty little thing with a low, streamlined roof, 19" alloy wheels, zero emissions, a 100-mile range and 114 horsepower, which isn't too shabby, given that the average coupe or sedan gets about 100-150hp. Compared to other EVs it falls right in the middle. The Toyota Prius gets a combined 99hp while the electric drive unit of the Chevrolet Volt boasts 149hp.
Of course the E-Bugster, if and when it ever gets made, wouldn't be weighed down with the gas engine of current hybrid models. The 85-kilowatt electric motor is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack and, similar to the original Beetle, it's mounted under the rear bench. Instead of a tachometer, the dashboard displays energy consumption, intensity of battery regeneration, a driving range indicator and the battery charge status. And with an 80% recharge in just 30 minutes, charging the battery of the E-Bugster is easier than any other EV I've seen to date. One of the biggest gripes I've heard from garage-less city dwellers is that they have no way to charge EVs overnight, but with a 30-minute charge time even street parkers can pull up to a public charging station before heading home (and therein lies the next challenge for cities: more public EV chargers).
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