Friday, December 18, 2015

Could Volkswagen's New Concept be an Electric Microbus?

CARS.COM — As reverberations of Volkswagen's diesel-emissions cheating scandal continue, the automaker has announced a new direction that shifts the focus to another form of clean energy: electricity. Next month at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, VW is set to unveil an entirely new concept demonstrating "the latest developments in electromobility."

Related: Volkswagen: Emissions Software Not a One-Time Mistake

Much media speculation has circulated that the big CES reveal will be an updated electric version of the iconic-but-long-defunct Microbus. The teaser image released with the announcement — which appears to be a larger vehicle with a flat, van-like front end, partially shrouded by a sheer sheet — seems to validate the conjecture.

In a statement, VW says the concept "marks the beginning of a new era of affordable long-distance electromobility."

Currently, Volkswagen's lone all-electric offering is the e-Golf plug-in hatchback. The automaker's focus in recent years has been on its so-called clean-diesel lineup. However, VW's recent admission that it cheated on emissions tests with some of its TDI models calls the future viability of those models into question.

The 2016 CES runs Jan. 6-9 in Las Vegas. Check back for more of Cars.com's coverage of the show.

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