The Abt e-Transporter will bring a buzz to the Geneva Motor Show by debuting a colourful and sporty take on the German brand's electrified version of the Volkswagen T6 Transporter. A more conventional looking version without the big wheels or green accents will go on sale in Germany in the third quarter of 2019, and some of this aftermarket equipment will be available for dressing it up.
Gallery: Abt Volkswagen e-Transporter
The e-Transporter in Geneva wears a body kit from Abt that adds a lower front fascia with a grille insert, side skirts, a rear wing, and revised rear bumper with green louvres where the tailpipe would usually exit. The van rides on a set of 20-inch wheels, and a set of springs lower the suspension over them. Abt's Audi RS6-E prototype provides the inspiration for the green, black, and grey motif that adorns the body.
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The Abt e-Transport packs an electric motor producing 110 bhp and 148 pound-feet of torque. The van comes standard with a 37.3 kilowatt-hour battery that provides an estimated 129-mile range. A 74.6-kWh pack will be available later that will offer an estimated 249 miles of driving distance.
Vans need to be able to haul stuff, too, and the e-Transporter has a standard 6.7 cubic metres of space on the inside. Abt will also offer a version using the T6 Caravelle as a starting point for a variant that will put the focus on carrying people rather than cargo.
Abt Sportsline is one of the biggest names in tuning for Volkswagen Group models, and it's now expanding with the Abt e-Line subsidiary. As the name suggests, the new division focuses on electrifying VW models. The initiative starts with the e-Transporter, but a smaller e-Caddy is on the way in the future.
Geneva Motor Show: Full charge ahead!
ABT e-Transporter with complete tuning package
The Palexpo convention center, where the Motor Show will take place from March 7 - 17, 2019, is only a brisk walk away from Lake Geneva. The water level in the lake is regulated by the Barrage du Seujet power plant, which generates around 21.1 million kWh/year. This could be used to charge the battery of the new ABT e-Transporter more than half a million times. With this vast amount of energy, you could also drive around the earth nearly 3,000 times. The vehicle will be presented at the auto show as a tuning version for the first time even before start of series production – at stand 1244 in hall 1. The fully electric vehicle is an in-house development and is based on a VW T6, which is electrified at ABT e-Line, a subsidiary of the tuner ABT Sportsline. The company is an official PremiumPartner of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, meaning that sales are also handled by the vehicle manufacturer. The first deliveries to customers are expected for the beginning of the 3rd quarter of 2019.
Worth seeing: Aeropackage and 20-inch wheels
The comprehensive tuning package is sold exclusively through the dealer network of ABT Sportsline. The exhibition vehicle features a complete Aerokit with ABT front skirt add- on, front grille add-on, side skirts, rear wing and rear skirt set, in addition to covers for the tailpipe trims – for obvious reasons, no exhaust system was fitted. Instead, the eyes can feast on 9.0 x 20 inch alloy wheels type ABT Sport GR. As a highlight, the rims with "glossy black" finish feature a green edge on the exhibition vehicle. They are combined with Continental tires in 275/35 ZR20. ABT suspension springs do not only improve the handling, but also the look of the vehicle. Last but not least, the custom-made film wrap creates a link to the ABT RS6-E prototype, which was presented in 2018 and caused quite a stir with a system power of up to 1,018 HP (749 kW). The ABT e-Transporter is perhaps even more of a revolution in its own way.
Useful: variable battery size and larger loading space
The electric motor in the ABT e-Transporter has a power of 82 kW (111 HP) and a maximum torque of 200 Nm. The 37.3 kWh battery achieves a range of 208 km, assuming a consumption of 18 kWh for 100 km as per NEDC. A larger battery with 74.6 kWh is expected to be available for those who intend to take longer trips. It extends the range to around 400 km. At a CCS quick charging station (40 kW), the battery can be charged to 80% capacity in 49 minutes (37.3 kWh version) or 98 minutes (74.6 kWh version). There is also plenty of capacity in other respects: The ABT e-Transporter, which is always delivered with a long wheelbase, offers 6.7 m3 loading space. Other versions, like the Caravelle, are available for passenger transport and look particularly attractive with the ABT tuning package.
Also worth a look: the new ABT e-Caddy
For transport tasks which do not quite require the size of the ABT e-Transporter, there will also be an ABT e-Caddy as an alternative. With up to 4.2 m3 in the load compartment and five seats, it is ideal for a variety of uses. It has the same motor, and therefore performance data, as its big brother. While the e-Caddy is only available with the smaller of the two batteries, it still has a slightly longer range of 220 km. This is due to the smaller dimensions and lower weight.