Volkswagen reveals e-BULLI Kombi EV

Volkswagen has teamed up with EV specialist, eClassic, to create a zero-emission version of Type 2 Kombi.

Lifting its state-of-the-art 45kWh lithium-ion battery from the latest Volkswagen e-Up! city-car, the elderly first-gen Samba Bus has sacrificed its original 1.5-litre flat-four-cylinder petrol engine for a single electric motor that pumps out 61kW and 212Nm.

That might not sound much but that's more than twice as much power as the van's original engine and sees top speed raised to more than 130km/h.

For anyone who has driven an original Type 2 that's an alarming velocity but Volkswagen has comprehensively re-engineered the e-BULLI to cope with the huge increase in performance.

This has involved adding new multi-link front and rear suspension with coil-over struts and adjustable dampers.

Braking, mercifully, has also been improved with vented disc brakes, while the old van's wayward steering box has been replaced with a far more accurate and direct rack-and-pinion steering system.

Larger wheels with modern, wider tyres complete the updates to the chassis.

According to Volkswagen, the original microbus' construction made the conversion relatively easy, allowing plenty of space beneath to package the battery pack under the floor, while the electric motor lives in the same location as the old van's flat-four.

Like the e-Up!, the e-BULLI can be charged using a 50kW DC fast-charger, which is capable of topping up the battery-powered van to 80 per cent in just 40 minutes.

Externally, the updates to the iconic T2 are subtle and include a pair of brighter LED headlights and a handy charge indicator at the rear of the Kombi.

Inside, there's a modern gear-shifter, a cool solid wood floor, a new instrument panel and a retro-style modern sound system with hidden speakers.

The seats, meanwhile, have been retrimmed in leather rather than the original van's hard-wearing vinyl.

Incredibly, the e-BULLI is not a one-off.

Volkswagen Germany says it will begin selling the battery-powered Kombi with pricing set to begin at €64,000 ($A120,000).

Significantly for Australians, Volkswagen says it is considering selling the e-Classic conversion kit through its dealer network, hinting that one day it could become available Down Under.

There's no word on pricing for the dealer-fit e-BULLI EV kit.