The VW Buzz - an electric kombi van

As VW tries to wrestle free from the dieselgate emissions scandal, what better way to distract the car buying public than a trip down memory lane?

The German car maker has seen its sales figures survive revelations it cheated emissions tests, but the news it must now pay over £4bn in fines and compensation has coincided with the unveiling of a reworking of its much-loved kombi van as an 8-seat electric microbus called the Buzz. With a range of up to 270 miles without the need for a single drop of diesel, the Buzz is a much-needed good news story for the world's second largest car maker.

The design promises that fast charging will replenish its 110-kWh lithium ion battery pack to 80 per cent in only 30 minutes. The Buzz also features the now ubiquitous concept car feature; driverless capability. The microbus can take the wheel itself by collecting traffic data using photographic, laser, ultrasonic, and radar sensors.

The Buzz might be a retro design that banks on nostalgia for the ever-popular kombi van, but its distinctive makers might be a sign of things to come. Makers of electric cars have done all they can to make their battery powered vehicles indistinguishable from those fuelled by petrol or diesel – the Nissan Leaf is every inch the conventional city car, and the Tesla Model S looks similar to rival petrol-powered offerings from Maserati and Jaguar – but what if the road to success lies in creating cars that dare to be different. Cars such as Nimbus.

Nimbus is a hybrid electric people carrier. With styling that combines elements of the iconic Airstream trailer with the rugged appearance of an overland truck, the Nimbus is highly original and capacious alternative to anything on the market today. Unlike SUVs, Nimbus has panoramic windows, a light and airy interior and a large rack and roof box as standard.

Nimbus™ has a 130Kw (180hp) lithium-ion battery powered motor charged by a micro generator that delivers the equivalent of over 200 mpg.

The design might be built around a highly efficient drivetrain, but there is no scrimping on creature comforts. The dash features a removable internet-enabled touchscreen and passengers get a fridge big enough to hold eight cans of drink.

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