Volkswagen has created an all-electric version of its classis splitscreen campervan.

VW actually created its first electric Transporter back in 1972 based on the second-generation Transporter, the T2. But this e-Bulli is based on the original Transporter – the T1 – in its iconic ‘Samba Bus’ form, which was originally produced in 1966 and exported to Los Angeles in the USA and later brought back to Europe. VW then rebuilt it and fitted it with a modern electric drive system to show “what such a classic vehicle of the future could look like”.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will show e-Bulli to the public for the first time at this year’s Techno Classica in Essen later this year. The e-Bulli is essentially a crossover made up of historic base vehicle and electric drive technology, designed to open a window into the classic models’ future.

The electric drive system is based on the drive-train and battery technology already in use in other Volkswagen Group models. In addition, the e-Bulli has been given a modern, safer chassis and an exterior and interior that, VW says, is both “avant-garde and stylish”, adding that this model “bridges the gap between the historic T2 electric van and the future ID Buzz, which is due to launch in 2022.

Design touches include a solid wood interior floor to give the feel of a ship’s deck and the use of a large folding roof.