Proving that concept cars can look to the past as well as the future, Volkswagen designers based in California have built a one-off battery-electric concept vehicle based on a 57-year-old VW Microbus.

Called the Type 20, the concept uses the body of a 1962 Type 2 Microbus as its base, but underneath the normal engine has been replaced with a 120-hp electric motor and small 10-kilowatt-hour battery with a 2,500-watt onboard charger. It also features a pneumatic Porsche suspension system to adjust the vehicle's ride height.

The concept showcases systems that may find their way on to VW vehicles of the future such as a facial recognition entry system and a digital assistant which the driver can talk to both inside and outside of the vehicle. The dashboard also features a Looking Glass II holographic display, generating 3D images.