LONDON, Sept 6 — Volkswagen has announced that the company has partnered with eClassics — a German firm that converts gas-powered cars to EVs — to swap out the combustion engines of vintage Beetles with electric powertrains.

With Volkswagen officially ceasing production of the Beetle this past July, VW announced yesterday its plans to keep the iconic model with over seven generations of history alive and running in 2019: by offering a completely electric powertrain for the old models.

VW Group Components makes this possible by partnering with eClassics, a German firm that installs the new, mutually agreed upon electric components. The first model to feature the nearly complete conversion will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

According to Volkswagen, the e-Beetle’s battery system can generate a power output of about 80hp which pushes the car up to 50 km/h (about 31 mph) in under four seconds. The top speed measures in at about 93 mph, and this e-Beetle can continue on for over 120 miles on a single charge.

Though this concept is coming to Beetles first, a company executive stated that the company is working on such a conversion of the retro Bus, as well. Volkswagen did not announce how much this change will cost Beetle owners nor when the conversion will be available for purchase. — AFP-Relaxnews