Could there be a VW Beetle comeback in the US? The answer is maybe.
It was a sad day for lovers of the iconic VW Beetle when Volkswagen announced in 2019 that it was not going to sell its Beetle in America anymore.
As in never.
Ever.
At least that’s what everyone thought based on the finality of Volkswagen’s announcement.
But, alas, we may have reason to believe that all is not lost when it comes to the famous “bug.”
VW has filed a new trademark that is giving us a glimmer of hope that the German automaker may be bringing back the Beetle … possibly in an electric version only.
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So, there’s new hope for a VW Beetle comeback.
The European Union Intellectual Property Office confirmed VW recently filed an application for the “e-Beetle” trademark. VW also submitted applications for the “e-Golf Classic,” the “e-Karmann” and “e-Kübel” and, recently, the
“e-Samba.”
This comes after Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess told the media last year the Beetle would never come back.
Maybe he meant the gasoline-powered Beetle?
That makes sense because earlier he’d said the Bug could someday make a comeback as an EV based on VW’s MEB platform.
We do know that another iconic VW vehicle, the VW Microbus, is poised for a big comeback when the EV version, the ID. Buzz, hits showrooms in the coming year.
But it would also be exciting for VW enthusiasts everywhere if the VW Beetle comeback is an electric Beetle car joining the ID. Family.
Volkswagen has announced plans to convert 70 percent of all new vehicles in Europe to be fully electric by 2030, and then to quickly start shifting all facilities worldwide to EV production.
Diess once referred to the Beetle as the “People’s Car” and said it was a concept the VW brand needed.
More about the VW Microbus: From People’s “Wagon” to Hippie Bus and Now Fully Electric, the VW Microbus ID. Buzz is Poised to Change the Automotive World Yet Again
We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, the electric microbus will be an exciting addition to the VW lineup.
The ID. Buzz includes many exciting features including a customizable seating pattern that includes available captains chairs and boasts an electric powertrain that can churn out 300 hp and provide a range of up to 340 miles per charge.
It will be 78 years in January since the first Beetle went into product.
Perhaps before the 80th anniversary in 2025, we’ll have some good news about a VW Beetle comeback.
For now, we’re poised for that ID Buzz.
The 2024 VW ID. Buzz, which will land in the United States in 2023, celebrates the German automaker’s iconic Type 2 Microbus – or VW Bus – but in a very high-tech, electric-vehicle kind of way.
Starting at an estimated $40,000, the 2024 VW ID. Buzz will be an all-new vehicle.
It has an all-electric powertrain that provides around 300 miles of driving range. It also has super cool flexible seating configurations and a powerful electric engine that leaves the original in the dust.
Here is everything else we are learning from VW about the new bus:
Just like the original generations, the ID. Buzz will offer you plenty of space for passengers or cargo, with an abundance of windows and natural light. There’s even a “front trunk” like the one in the original VW Beetle.
The first microbuses churned out only 30 horsepower. The new VW Microbus will ride on Volkswagen’s Modular Electric Drive (MEB) – and even the base model features rear-wheel drive and an output of around 200 horsepower that can get you from zero to 60 in under 5 seconds and reach a top speed of 99.
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz’s top-level trim will feature all-wheel drive and an unheard of estimated 360 horsepower.
This electric van has plenty of room for friends, pets, and luggage – and a variety of ways to use the interior. The Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo’s battery capacity starts at 48 kWh and can be increased to 110 kWh, according to Car and Driver.
The innovative VW van features a highly adaptable three rows of seats that can be spun around, laid down, or removed completely if you’re hosting your own be-in. This means that aside from traveling, you can sleep in it, eat in it, and relax in it.
The movable center console slides forward and back on a track and contains a table. And somehow designers even saved room for a trunk.
Best of all, with a meaty range and charging stations going up all over the place, you don’t have to worry about running out of power. Or paying for gasoline. The batteries provide driving ranges of 200 and 340 miles, respectively. Those who plug into a DC fast charger will attain an 80 percent charge in about half an hour.
The VW ID. Buzz was designed to recall the original Type 2 Microbus without being a carbon copy. It is the closes we have gotten to a VW Beetle comeback as of today.
The front V in the body harkens back to the two-tone early version. But the ID. Buzz features design elements such as a light strip that surrounds the vehicle and gives it a futuristic visual appeal.
The LED headlights have hexagonal segments that act as “eyes” to communicate the vehicle’s status.
It’s an icon in the making at a very interesting time in automotive history.
The VW Beetle comeback is not a set deal, but we have the latest, most innovative Volkswagen ready to be purchased by you. Check out our inventory below.
