Volkswagen e-Co-Motion concept: zero-emission van unveiled

Designed to offer a solution to the problem of transporting goods into and out of increasingly more populated cities with ever stricter emission restrictions, the all-electric Volkswagen e-Co-Motion concept – seen first in a series of sketches – is a design platform intended to point consumers towards the future of commercial vehicles.

Measuring in at 4550mm long, 1900mm wide and 1960mm tall – 342mm shorter, 4mm narrower and with a 30mm lower roofline than the entry-level Volkswagen Transporter – the e-Co-Motion provides 4.6 cubic metres of cargo space and a payload of 800kg.

With its intended purpose in mind, Volkswagen says the top priorities of a future production version are high manoeuvrability, good all-round visibility, a high seating position, low cargo floor height for ease of loading and a small footprint. A uniform platform would also allow for many different variants of the van, making various body types available to suit specific customer requirements.

The Volkswagen e-Co-Motion’s 85kW/270Nm electric drive unit is mounted to the rear axle along with a single-speed planetary gearbox in an effort to increase the van's wheel turning angles and achieve a turning circle of 8.95 metres. An electronically limited top speed of 120km/h joins an EV range of 100-200km, depending on the battery selected (20kWh, 30kWh or 40kWh).

The van also comes with drink holders and 12V and 230V accessory outlets as well as storage space for tools, documents and freight goods. A rotary gear selector and eight-inch colour screen that displays the controls for the e-Co-Motion’s climate control and infotainment systems also feature.