Motoring: VW classic given a modern twist at Fieldays

Modernised Kombi - VW KEV, complete with freely available Greenprint you can download to complete your own project if you can find a donor vehicle. Photo / Dean Taylor

OPINION

National Fieldays was the perfect place for VW New Zealand to show off its latest creation - sitting amongst the newest hi-tech European offerings was a classic 1966 Kombi complete with 60s inspired livery.

But the talking point about this iconic vehicle, one of the symbols of simplicity in motoring for all people, was that it was as hi-tech as the rest of the fleet thanks to some cleverness and imagination.

KEV is an electric vehicle - a Kombi Electric Vehicle in fact - and is now a symbol of clean and green motoring for all people.

And having done all the clever work to convert a fossil-fuel-burning relic into a clean, green camping machine, VW New Zealand is freely sharing their Greenprint so you too can convert your classic Kombi into an EV in 20 relatively easy-ish steps.

KEV Greenprint.

On the VW New Zealand website it says: From the moment it was born, the Kombi has been a symbol of hope for a better world.

Now, 65 years later, leaving the world in a better place for future generations is more important than ever.

That’s why Volkswagen are making a shift to a more sustainable future by starting our journey into electric vehicles. And what better way to hit the road on our journey than by bringing back an icon from the past, so it can lead us into the future?

Body work on the 1966 VW Kombi as it is prepared for its EV conversion. Photo / VW NZ

I have to say, after reading that, I was surprised the Kombi had only been around since 1958 so I went to Wikipedia and it told me the first VW Type2 was built in 1950 and continued being produced in most parts of the world until 1967. The Brazilians kept them coming off their production line until 1975.

Maybe the Kombi didn’t make it to New Zealand until 1958, or maybe VW New Zealand got the maths wrong, but they got the EV right.

It is a work of art and certainly, to my mind, more attractive than what VW is calling “the new Kombi” based on their California range.

The top-of-the-range Grand California has a base cost of $178,000, and that’s not in campervan mode. That’s not really a vehicle for the people price.

The modern Kombi - VW Grand California. Photo / Dean Taylor

So back to KEV. It is a 1966 Kombi with a split screen front window, sliding side door and huge front VW badge.

In a past life it was a work vehicle for the Dunedin Health Board.

Everything related to the petrol engine and drivetrain was removed and the old body was given a makeover.

VW recycled batteries from other EV projects and fitted KEV with a lovely new electric motor in the back end, where a VW engine belongs.

Amazingly simple looking, any viewing of EV conversions on YouTube will show you that rear engine conversions, especially classic VWs and Porsches, are a proven and popular option.

Q code for VW KEV Greenprint and detailed instructions to build your own Kombi EV.

VW has a huge range of vehicles, more than they could show at Fieldays, but I was pleased to see the ID.4 and ID.5 have arrived.

More car than SUV, they are great looking vehicles, and having driven an imported ID.4 I also know they are a great drive.

So VW is one of the leaders in the EV revolution.

VW New Zealand says it is proud to have breathed new life into this classic by transforming it into an electric vehicle.

“KEV is leading the way in Volkswagen’s shift to a more sustainable future - a future that’s better for the flowers, and the rest of us.”