1966 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus Quits Smoking, Joins the Electric Age

From the April 2022 issue of Car and Driver.

It has 21 windows but is still tough to see out of. The driving position is an enforced slouch, and the front crush zone is two stamped headlight buckets reinforced by tibias and fibulas. The suspension teeters along as if it had been tuned by Christian Louboutin. And yet, it’s a ton of two-tone fun that’s decently quick. It’s a 1966 Volkswagen Type 2 electrified by EV West.

Jessica Lynn WalkerCar and Driver

Inside EV West’s shop in San Marcos, California, old-car zapifications are in various stages of progress. Outside, the parking lot is full of wrecked Teslas being rehabilitated or mined for parts. This is a place where electric dreams, nostalgia, and lithium ions are soldered into drivable things. Write a big check and EV West will put batteries into any toy.

Born in 1950, the Type 2 is a metal box built atop Type 1 Beetle pieces. None other than Ferdinand Porsche set the basic suspension design back in the 1930s. It’s not archaic, it’s Pleistocene. That means diabolical swing axles in back and a weird torsion-arm system in front. The manual recirculating-ball steering and drum brakes aren’t much good either. Plus, this Bus rides on narrow 165R-15 Coker Classic tires. Set handling expectations accordingly.

In place of the original 53-hp air-cooled flat-four, EV West has plopped in a NetGain HyPer9 electric motor rated at 120 horsepower and 173 pound-feet of torque. Six scavenged Tesla battery modules feed it electricity. The stock four-speed manual transmission is retained.

Arms out across the flat steering wheel, the driver hunkers down so as not to stare directly at the windshield header. There’s no reason ever to use first gear, and the clutch is superfluous once a gear is selected. EV West says the electric transformation added about 200 pounds, and the Bus kind of hustles, for better or worse. Bus stops require intentionality and concentration.

This EV conversion runs about $55,000 beyond the near-six-figure value of this perfectly restored beauty. (EV West also has conversion kits with less powerful motors starting at $7598, not including battery or installation.) The range, says EV West, is about 95 miles—great for a family day trip to the beach or taking guests around the manse. With this much power, the Type 2 is about at its mechanical limits. It’s also totally adorable.

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