The Volkswagen Beetle Electric Concept makes a surprise appearance. Will it be marketed?
The German manufacturer volkswagen entered into a visibility agreement with the producers of Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, a French animated film which is an adaptation of the animated television series of the same name. The animated film features several electric vehicles from Volkswagen’s ID family, but you can also see the Volkswagen Beetle Electric Concep tthe only star vehicle not in production.
However, a French media has spotted a real life-size VW Beetle Electric Concept on the streets of Paris. The car appeared in a video posted on the Paris Videostars YouTube channel as well as in a few stories posted on social media.
It was enough to start the rumor machine. Will the manufacturer decide to produce an electrified version of its cult car, the Beetle? We understand that the car was created to promote the film, but it would be surprising if the manufacturer missed the idea of bringing the Beetle back in an electrified configuration.
According to video footage, the VW Beetle Electric Concept was parked prominently next to a venue that is hosting a franchise-related event Miraculous. The car looks exactly like the model generated in 3D for the film, but retains its typical Beetle characteristics, the round taillights and the integrated spoiler, in particular.
The general design of the concept is very similar to that of the last Beetle whose production was stopped in 2019. After the launch of the ID.Buzz, it will be recalled that the ex-CEO of VW, Herbert Diess, had suggested that “many other cars that generate emotion can be developed from the scalable MEB platform”. His comments fueled rumors of an “ID.Bug” that could share its all-electric base with other production models in the ID family.
Time will tell if Volkswagen is actually preparing the return of the Beetle for production, or if it’s just a prototype designed solely to promote the brand’s electric vehicles.
Conclusion
Clearly, it is hard to imagine seeing Volkswagen ignore the idea of reviving the Beetle in an electric car. Within a few years, emotion, design and passion will also be an integral part of electric vehicle purchasing decisions; and like the ID.Buzz, the Beetle could very well play this role.
