Volkswagen EV Concept Headed to Detroit Auto Show

Jason Siu
by Jason Siu

It appears that Volkswagen will be unveiling a concept electric vehicle at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, joining its Jetta Hybrid that will also be on display. The EV concept will not be based on any existing VW model, but will feature plenty of Beetle-esque styling cues. However, Volkswagen has confirmed that it won’t be a Beetle EV.

In fact, VW hints that it might not make it into production at all, but just proves that Volkswagen is dedicated to shifting some production, research and development teams towards hybrids and electric vehicles for their brand. It will be interesting to see if Volkswagen decides to take on the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-MiEV head on in the EV market.

The Jetta hybrid will also debut at Detroit, hoping to challenge the Toyota Prius. It’ll sport a 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine paired with an electric motor. VW did mention that it won’t be using the same 1.4L seen in Europe that’s both turbocharged and supercharged.

[Source: Autoblog]

Jason Siu
Jason Siu

Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.

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