It’s not quite the same bus we grew up with and millions have come to love, but we’ll take it. Volkswagen AG introduced the electric powered BUDD-e bus concept at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and has managed to turn a lot of heads with its futuristic design and capabilities. Now it’s not exactly the kind of bus you’ll see at a Grateful Dead concert, but maybe in a few years, who knows?
The company has delivered a platform that is full of all the electronic wizardry and concept-level integration you would expect at an exhibition. There are screens everywhere, display panels, and a striking dashboard design that boggles the mind. It has a steering wheel that has swipe and gesture controls. It uses digital screens instead of rear view mirrors, and of course, it can integrate with all types of smart devices. It’s truly beautiful stuff, but there is much doubt that this kind of setup in this form would ever hit production.
Nonetheless, the stars of the show are the capabilities of the vehicle. The battery can make a 233 mile journey on just a single charge. The source of all this is the MEB, which stands for Modular Electric Tookit. This is a platform that is designed to be a foundation for multiple electric vehicles someday in the future. As far as the BUDD-e, Volkswagen says it shows what vehicles might look like in 2019. Bring back the round headlights and classic logo and I’m sold.
