Drawing heavily on the old Microbus (right down to the halo of small roof-mounted windows, the Space Up! Blue debuts as the third model in Volkswagen's "New Small Family" of concepts, after Frankfurt's Up! and Tokyo's Space Up! The Space Up! Blue employs a high-temperature fuel cell array, a dozen lithium-ion batteries, and a 60-horsepower electric motor. VW claims the four-seat Blue could travel 65 miles on a full charge of the batteries (which can be juiced via a household outlet) — ample for urban-runabout duty. But the on-board fuel cell array produces enough voltage for an additional 155 miles, and a roof-mounted photovoltaic panel prolongs the ride even more. Beyond its clever, under-the-floor powertrain, the Space Up! Blue presents some innovative space utilization and minimalist style on the inside, offering plenty of room for four adults within its twelve-foot length (about an inch longer than a Mini Cooper and almost two feet shorter than a VW Rabbit).
Many more photos after the break, courtesy of Volkswagen.
