Bulli
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New VW Bus concept comes with iPad interface
The venerable Volkswagen Bus has been remade for the next millennia, and the updated version of the hippie bus is now earth-friendly and technologically savvy. A concept version of the van, now called the Bulli, was showcased by Volkswagen at the Geneva International Motor Show held in March. The van is smaller than its Microbus predecessor and seats six within an interior that includes two full-length bench seats. The van also includes an electric motor capable of 90 miles of run-time with a 4-cylinder gas backup and an integrated interface made specifically for the iPad. All you Apple-loving, Birkenstock-wearing, sustainable living folk may want to keep a watchful eye to see if this concept makes it from drawing board to showroom floor. [Via Dvice]
VW's Bulli van concept does iPad integration right, shockingly
After seeing many atrocious attempts, it seemed factory iPad integration was something that simply shouldn't happen. Now, in Volkswagen's Bulli concept, we're seeing something that makes sense -- something we've wanted to see for a while now. The tablet sits in a custom cradle in the center of the dash, extended on a pivoting arm so that it can turn toward driver or passenger. It then provides center stack duties, letting front-seaters manage the climate controls, play some music, and of course get directions. Naturally we'd like to see something a little more platform-neutral if it's going to be a factory option, but we're guessing that if indeed this new-age Vanagon ever sees production its interior will look nothing like this anyway. So, no point in getting too worked up about it, then.
