VW teases all-electric dune buggy

Volkswagen has announced it will build a new, fully electric dune buggy, taking styling cues from the past and translating them onto a technologically-advanced concept vehicle.

The concept is expected to be called I.D. Buggy to tie in with other vehicles on the same platform – the I.D. Crozz SUV and the I.D. Buzz Microbus. Like the Buzz, the Buggy will take inspiration from classic Volkswagen icons – in this case, the Beetle-based beach buggies that became characteristic of the USA’s coastal culture.

The concept will be revealed in the metal at the Geneva Motor Show in March, but Volkswagen’s introduced it via a pair of dark teaser images. They show a few details, though – the I.D. Buggy will feature massive wheelarches filled with chunky off-road tyres, while the car’s front fascia is clearly delineated by its LED details.

As with other cars in the I.D. range, the Buggy be headed up by round LED headlights flanking a backlit Volkswagen badge. The car’s body, meanwhile, takes the form of a roofless, doorless cabin with rear roll bar and skid plates to shield the floorpan.

The Buggy will ride on VW’s MEB electric platform, which would open the possibility of a twin-motor, four-wheel drive variant – in contrast to the original buggies, which made use of the Beetle’s rear-mounted, air-cooled engine and rear-wheel drive. So far, no powertrain details have been announced for the new I.D. Buggy, but we’ll find out more when we see it in full at the Geneva Motor Show in March.