Volkswagen Electric Autonomous Microbus concept heading for Detroit

Volkswagen are teasing an electric concept for the Detroit Motor Show which looks to be an EV Microbus promising ‘The era of electric mobility is beginning’.

As Volkswagen seeks to reinvent itself as a fluffy green car maker in the wake of the dieselgate scandal, it’s taken to sending out a million press releases a month. But this one, announcing a new electric concept for Detroit, looks more interesting than most.

VW say the concept has two electric motors and four wheel drive and that it marks the beginning of the era of electric mobility. But what is it?

Clearly, looking at the photo above VW has released, this is yet another Microbus/Camper Van re-hash concept (we saw one of these as recently as the January this year at the CES), but this one does look to be heading for production at some point.

Based on VW’s Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB) platform – just like the recent VW I.D. Concept – VW promise a fully autonomous fute for the concept, with a press on the VW logo allowing the steering wheel to retract so the driver can relax with the autonomous gubbins doing its thing.

But apart from being a possible future electric mover of families and their stuff, could this be the car VW sees as their future driverless taxi in their Uber-bashing MOIA project, planning to offer ride hailing and connected commuting in Germany in 2017 before rolling out fully?

Perhaps we’ll find out at Detroit?