For now, the car named BUDD-e has the status of a concept and shows the company's vision of the minibus of the future. In terms of its dimensions, the new product is smaller than the Multivan, but larger than the Touran. The prototype debuted at the CES consumer electronics show in the USA.
Despite its modern expressive appearance, the exterior of the BUDD-e shows features of the good old Microbus from the 1960s.
According to the Germans, the car can drive without a driver, understand gestures and voice. For example, you can ask the car to open the door, make it a bit warmer, or park.
What is most interesting, the car can distinguish the timbre of the voice and listen (or not listen) to commands depending on the location of the speaker in the cabin. In particular, Volkswagen will not park if asked to do so by someone other than the driver. But at the same time, the "smart car" will react if a person sitting in the back asks to increase the airflow or temperature in their zone.
As for the powertrain, it is fully electric and includes a battery pack of 101 kilowatt-hours and electric motors with a total power of 205 hp. Acceleration to 100 km/h takes 7 seconds, top speed is 180 kilometers per hour. The claimed range is 530 kilometers.
The German automaker plans to release a successor to the BUDD-e in 2018. But, as is often the case, the production minibus will be simpler – both in terms of the impressiveness of the exterior/interior and the level of electronic saturation. Although, to be fair, we note that it is not a fact. After all, the Passat sold today can drive itself, park, and even think for the driver...
