Greening the Summer of Love!

Today, I came across this story which brought a smile to my face, because it’s made the Volkswagen camper van significant again 40 years after its heyday. I remember growing up feeling envious of friends’ parents or members of my family driving these cool, hippie vans (as we used to call them). Although the hippie movement had long passed when I was a teenager, the camper vans still made everyone think of a “free and easy” lifestyle, and we were reminded of their self-sufficiency and hence seemed very green.

Now it seems that the VW camper van is seeing a rebirth through Alexander Verdier, the design team based in Canada that has introduced an updated and far greener design for the bus. The team has updated the hippie van with solar panels that provide electricity for all on-board accessories. There is also an on-board computer and a GPS that calculates the optimal position for the solar panel system, which is dubbed “Sun Tracker.”

Other updates include a pneumatic suspension, which lowers the vehicle and sets its structure on the tires for improved comfort and a better stabilization in the stationary position, and an improved cooker that makes it possible to cook inside or outside the vehicle. There is also a multi-media computer with a wireless Internet connection. To see if for yourself, check out the video below and pre-order one here.