The Volkswagen Westfalia Camper is associated with the Seventies , the Summer of Love and nature-loving hippies . Now the iconic van is about to get greener because the bus is being reborn as an electric vehicle , a Volkswagen board member revealed . No images of the new vehicle have yet been released , but Dr Heinz-Jakob Neusser suggested that battery packs would be hidden under the vehicle 's floor and a small electric motor will drive its front wheels . The iconic Volkswagen Westfalia Camper ( pictured here including an extendable roof ) is about to get greener , because the bus will be reborn as an electric vehicle , a Volkswagen board member revealed . The Volkswagen Westfalia Camper ceased production in 2003 , and while VW has rolled out two concept 'microbuses ' in recent years , neither have the charm or iconic good looks of its original . Speaking at the New York International Auto Show , Dr Neusser didn ’ t give any specific design details away , but said that the new version will share some features with the Westfalia Camper , because the placement of the motor and batteries will allow designers to borrow aspects of the original 1950s design . Speaking at the New York International Auto Show , Dr Neusser didn ’ t give any specific design details away , but said that the new version will share at least three key features with the Westfalia Camper . Volkswagen has unveiled two prototype 'microbuses ' including the Bulli ( pictured ) in recent years . No images of the new vehicle have yet been released , but Dr Heinz-Jakob Neusser suggested that battery packs would be hidden under the floor in the vehicle and a small electric motor will drive its front wheels , making the new Camper van more environmentally friendly than its predecessor ( an example is pictured ) No images or name has been announced for the Westfalia Camper version 2.0 . It 's expected to be an electric vehicle with batteries stashed beneath the floor . A small electric motor will drive its front wheels . Compact technology will enable designers to keep 1950s features . A concept is expected to be revealed in two to five years ’ time . 'It ’ s easy to bring battery space into such a vehicle , because you can put them under the floor . We have these systems already , ' he told AutoExpress . By eliminating the need for a conventional petrol engine , VW 's designers could position the cabin further forward , to mimic the layout of the original . Engineers are currently working on the concept car and Dr Neusser said that the design will go into production if it ’ s financially viable . It 's expected that the concept will be revealed in two to five years time . The German automaker resurrected its beloved Beetle in 1997 , after various iterations of the model were made for over six decades , between 1938 and 2003 , suggesting it may repeat this success story with the VW Camper . Engineers are currently working on the concept car and Dr Neusser said that the design will go into production if it ’ s financially viable . VW also unveiled four prototype Beetles at the US auto show , including the orange Beetle Wave ( pictured ) which features fabric patterns from the 1950s and 60s as well as a wooden dashboard . It unveiled four new concepts for its Beetle car , including two coupés and two cabriolets . One of them is the Beetle Cabriolet Denim , which comes in ‘ stonewashed blue metallic ’ with a denim-like texture on the soft roof , while the orange Beetle Wave features fabric patterns from the 1950s and 60s as well as a wooden dashboard , which the company says ‘ reflects the American spirit on the East and West coast beaches of the USA ’ . The Beetle Pink Edition is simply pink , but the R-Line Concept is a sporty version with a 2.0 TSI engine , wrap-around body panelling , a black diffuser and large rear spoiler . The Beetle R-Line Concept is a sporty version with a 2.0 TSI engine , wrap-around body panelling , a black diffuser and large rear spoiler .
VW Westfalia Camper was designed in the 1950s and discontinued in 2003 . New electric version is set to get batteries hidden under the floor . Design has n't yet been revealed but it will share details with the original . Engineers are making a concept car for the show, which they hope to unveil at the end of this year or early next year.