VW Conjures Up a Hydrogen Powered Microbus

Take a look at the Volkswagen Space Up! Blue concept car, and the company hopes you’ll conjure up fond memories of the 1950s VW Microbus. With four roof windows, butterfly doors, and a motor at the rear, the concept resembles a modern, 7/8th scale take on the original. But unlike the “hippy van” of yore that came to symbolize the eco lifestyle, this concept’s powerplant actually bears it out.

Replacing the boxer engine is a 60 horsepower electric motor that draws its power from a dozen lithium-ion batteries. These batteries provide enough energy for a 65 mile all-electric trip. After that the Space Up! Blue is either refueled by plugging into an electrical outlet or seamlessly powered by an on-board fuel cell for another 155 miles.

A nice touch is provided by a large solar panel on the roof that feeds up to 150 watts to the battery. Fueled by an underbody compressed hydrogen tank, the fuel cell is a new high temperature unit developed by VW’s dedicated research center in Germany. A new high temperature membrane and electrodes allow operating temperatures of up to 320 ºF, far beyond current low temperature fuel cells whose water-containing membranes are limited to water’s boiling point. VW points out that higher operating temperatures mean a much simpler cooling and water management system is needed, making the whole system more compact, affordable, and efficient.

The Space Up! Blue concept is the third variant of VW’s new small family of concept cars to appear at major auto shows in just a few months, following the Up! Concept from Frankfurt and the larger Space Up! concept from Tokyo. Despite the resulting unwieldy naming scheme, the concepts collectively offer VW’s vision for a new kind of small car that is cleverly packaged and simply styled. Now with electric drive, plug-in capability, and advanced fuel cell technology, we like where this vision is aimed.