Volkswagen is looking to put the fun back into summer with its concept zero emissions, high-tech beach buggy. It’s called the ID.BUGGY and there are plenty of parallels to the Californian dune buggies that were all the rage in the sixties.

All beach buggies from back then featured a high degree of modular variability – based on the chassis of the legendary Beetle, with a four-cylinder boxer engine running at the rear.

Small series manufacturers stretched a cover made of glass-fibre reinforced plastic over the chassis and engine of the Beetle, thus writing automotive history. The ID. BUGGY is tied to this cult concept with the technical possibilities of the modern age.

The basis here is the progressive chassis of the modular electric drive matrix (MEB) and integrated in the vehicle floor, a high-voltage battery.

This lithium ion rechargeable battery supplies the electricity for the ID. BUGGY’s 150 kW/204 PS electric drive motor in the rear. An additional electric motor in the front axle is also conceivable in order to realise an all-wheel drive with an “electric propshaft”.

To be able to feel the wind, a fixed roof and doors were deliberately dispensed with. This is why the resilient and minimalist design of the interior is characterised by waterproof materials. The concept car is a pure 2-seater, although the ID. BUGGY can be converted to a 2+2- seater.

The composite body manufactured from a mixture of aluminium, steel and plastic is self-supporting, and thanks to the modular design, the upper body can be detached from the MEB chassis.

As in the past, Volkswagen is opening up to external producers with the ID. BUGGY concept. The offer is simple – you can build the new-era, zero-emissions dune buggy based on this concept.