Fancy an all-electric Mk1 Golf GTI? VW is working on it

Fresh reports suggest Volkswagen wants to push forward its electric car revolution while taking its past along.

American website Motor Authority says the company, which has partnered with eClassics, German converters who have previously electrified an original VW Beetle convertible and a 1966 split-window Kombi, has filed new trademarks with European Union Intellectual Property Office for "e-Golf Classic", "e-Karmann" and"‘e-Kubel".

The German company worked closely with VW in tweaking the MEB scalable platform used to build a raft of current VAG electric cars like the VW ID.3 and newly revealed Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron. It’s now expected that VW will recapture its history in a cleaner, more sustainable way by electrifying some of its historic cars, including the first-generation Golf which lived on in SA for many years as the Citigolf.

Using VW's MEB platform for the conversions ensures that sourcing parts will be convenient for owners, as there will be commonality with VW's new ID range of EVs, according to the company.

The potential electrification of the original Mk1 Golf would be of great interest to its many fans who’d like nothing more than to continue driving this desirable and rare legend in future.

Ditto the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, the 2+2 sports coupe from 1955 which combined the chassis and mechanicals of the Beetle with a Karmann body styled by Carrozzeria Ghia of Italy.

Fans of the 1945 Volkswagen Kübelwagen will be happy to know that an electrified version of this Ferdinand Porsche designed light military vehicle that was used in WWII is in the pipeline too. It should cut a curious figure inside the sanitised zero emissions city zones being planned.    

This and the efforts of other brands offering electrified classics is the varied spice of potential life in an emissions-free future. Aston Martin has also announced the electrification of its cult DB4 "Bond car" while Jaguar has already showed solutions to keep its legendary E-Type moving into the future.