Techno-Classica: VW brings electric Samba and recalls T2 Electric

Already Exist: Electric Drive, Batteries from Varta

Incidentally, the manufacturer is also bringing the T2 electric transporter to the retro show: With a drivable VW electric transporter based on the T2, the people from Hannover present the predecessor of the future ID. BUZZ. It was registered in April 1978 for the Berlin Transport Authority and now belongs to the mobile collection of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Oldtimer. In 1970, the inventor of the Beetle and Bulli founded a development department in Wolfsburg that designed the first electrically powered Volkswagens. Even back then, the goal was to explore alternative energy sources to become more independent of fossil fuels and to glide emission-free through cities. In 1972, the company presented its first prototype as a flatbed truck with an open loading area at the Hannover Fair. Shortly thereafter, small-scale production of the VW electric transporter began, which was offered not only as a flatbed but also as a bus and van. It lived up to its name with a respectable payload of 800 kg, despite the 880 kg heavy battery.

Quickly recharged: Battery with exchange technology

One participant in the fleet trial was the city of Berlin. In the following years, they acquired seven electric Bullis along the Spree. One of them: the T2, produced in 1977 and registered on April 14, 1978, for the Berlin Transport Authority, Department of Drainage Works. The slogan printed on the vehicle: "We drive on electricity – environmentally friendly." Berlin approached the test quite consistently. In the Tiergarten district, a battery exchange station was set up where the empty battery unit could be swapped for a full one within five minutes. This worked because the battery integrated under the loading area could be easily slid out. Volkswagen developed the charging and exchange technology together with Rheinisch-Westfälischen Elektrizitätswerke (RWE) and the then Society for Electric Road Vehicles (GES).

Charging port at the rear, recuperation on board

Alternatively, Varta's lead traction battery could also be charged via a plug through an interface at the rear of the Bulli. Additionally, more than four decades ago, the transporter from the future already had a recuperation system on board that stored kinetic energy during braking. The battery's energy content was 21.6 kWh, giving the VW electric transporter a range of up to 85 km. Propulsion was provided by a separately excited direct current shunt motor from Bosch (later Siemens). It delivered a continuous power of 16 kW (22 hp), with a peak short-term power of 32 kW (44 hp). The maximum torque was 160 Nm.

Early electrification, but practical batteries were lacking

Thus electrified, the 2,170 kg transporter achieved a top speed of 75 km/h—sufficient speed, since it was mostly used in the city. The manufacturer sees the first electric transporter as the nucleus of a development that has driven engineers over generations to develop the zero-emission Bulli for mass production. "But for decades, there was no truly practical battery technology," they justify why the technology was not brought to mass production. That is different today, and VW Commercial Vehicles offers the e-Crafter as a modern-day zero-emission transporter. In 2022, the ID. BUZZ and the ID. BUZZ Cargo are expected to take off.