A pity. An electric VW Beetle could have been brilliant. But I guess VW just want to stay boring.

AMKC

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/volkswagen-ceo-rules-out-beetle-revival-retro-dead-end#comment-378657

The best car VW ever made and it would be great as electric car but no VW just want to remain as boring box's on wheels. A pity.

Well you will soon be the most boring box's on Wheels VW if you are not already.

Mr Q

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058302473/a-pity-an-electric-vw-beetle-could-have-been-brilliant-but-i-guess-vw-just-want-to-stay-boring

I don't know the figures but were the recent versions of the Beetle's not sales flops?

If they don't think they will sell in big numbers you can see why they won't make them.

Padre_Pio

Not a huge fan of the electric VW lineup.

They had the chance to do something retro and cool with the ID buzz, instead it looks bland.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120768807#Comment_120768807

Exactly justice all VWs. Its like they afraid to do anything new design wise. It used to be Toyota but look at Toyota now. At least Toyotas are well built and were when they were about as exciting as butter too but they have come on leaps and bounds since then.

DaveyDave

It's a Golf sized car with no back doors, less rear headroom and a smaller boot for Golf money. As someone who had to sit in the back of a Scirocco many times I can see why a car like that isn't popular.

It doesn't make sense for them to make an EV one when the ID.2 is coming to fill out the range of sizes.

bazz26

The last 2 generations of Beetle were far from being a sales success, hence VW couldn't justify developing a new one. People simply don't really want small 2 door cars anymore especially when they are not cheaper to buy anyway hence why sales of them have severely declined in the last decade. Making a new Beetle electric won't change that.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120773455#Comment_120773455

Funny there seems to lots of people out there willing to buy 3 door Minis and Fiat 500s. I think it's just that VW did not put the effort and advertisement needed into it.

bazz26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120773820#Comment_120773820

The MINI and Fiat 500 are almost niche brands these days. Each of them have spawned into either 5 door hatchbacks or crossover variants which sell as many if not more than the 3 door versions. VW are not selling the Beetle as a standalone or niche brand, VW already have a multitude of models on the market and looking to streamline their model range. They killed off 3 door model variants a good few years ago - Polo, Beetle, Golf, Sirocco and replaced them with a glut of small crossovers because that is what sells. The Polo will be gone in the next few years and maybe even the Golf as we know it too.

Toyota don't sell a 3 door MINI or 500 alternative either, shouldn't that make them just as boring as VW or is this just another VW rant inspired thread?

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120774019#Comment_120774019

Toyota don't sell a 3 door MINI or 500 alternative either, shouldn't that make them just as boring as VW or is this just another VW rant inspired thread?

No this is not a VW rant inspired thread and Touota have really upped there game in the last decade. Just look at the current C-HR sure it's not perfect but it looks great and sells and now there is a new one coming that will be even better. Then there is the Corolla which also looks great these days and the Rav-4. OK Toyota do not always get it right that suv based on the Yaris is not great looking but it sells and the BZ4X was not great either. Maybe they tried too hard there. But the new Prius is a stunner it will be the best looking car on the roads and its the way cars should be going design wise.

Now look at VW. All Just boring boxs on wheels. A 3 year old could design a more stylish car.

zg3409

It might also be to do with aerodynamics. VW stopped making an electric variant of the VW golf, (they restarted again as they struggled to make the ID versions due to supply chain).

The efficiency of an EV at high speeds mostly depends on wind resistance and in Germany people drive fast on the autobahn. Newer EVs are very rounded and have social features to reduce drag such as sloped back windows.

While the beetle looks curvey it's never going to be efficient at 120km/h so the range will be maybe halfved compared to an ID3.

You can get old skool beetles conveyed to EV for around 40-50k, if that's your thing. Range is bad and charging us slow but these classic conversions will get cheaper and better.

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120781392#Comment_120781392

€40 to €50k????

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120781392#Comment_120781392

I doubt it.

Aerodynamics aren't limited to EVs. I get that an ICE fuel economy is less important than range, but it's still a factor in buying any car.

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120781797#Comment_120781797

Sure does. If I stay below 100kph on a motorway I get approx 17km/L in my smax (highest I see on on board computer was 20.1 kms/L after a hypermiling 90km motorway journey - was wrecked after it😅) but if I increase to 130kph this can drop down to approx 15km/L or around 120kms less per fill. Obviously aerodynamics not great in a big box mpv so penalty will not be as severe is a smaller car

zg3409

You can hope

https://www.motortrend.com/news/volkswagen-id-beetle-electric-car-future-cars/

horse7

https://www.topspeed.com/oras-punk-cat-ev-is-a-vw-beetle-clone-that-costs-less-than-20000/#:~:text=The%20Punk%20Cat%20Is%20Much%20Larger%20Than%20The%20Beetle&text=Obviously%2C%20the%20most%20noticeable%20difference,Beetle%20that%20inspired%20its%20look

Try this