KEV, the cool Kombi

Volkswagen Kombis took to the roads during Easter, headed to Kaikōura for the VW nationals.

Run by volunteers of the local VW club in each area where it takes place, the nationals have been held in New Zealand for more than 30 years. The 2024 Easter event was held in and around Kaikōura, organised by Christchurch-based car club East Coast Air Cooled.

On display was Volkswagen New Zealand’s very own 1966 Kombi, reimagined into a fully electric vehicle called KEV (Kombi Electric Vehicle), to educate VW lovers on the brand’s journey to reduce its carbon footprint, and to celebrate the much-anticipated arrival of the new, fully electric ID range that launched in 2023.

Once used by the Dunedin Health Board, KEV has been lovingly restored and re-powered with a new heart, fueled by clean energy. The initiative seeks to “green up” one of the brand’s most recognisable vehicles with an open source guide online to help Kombi owners revolutionise their iconic retro.

Anyone can revolutionise their Kombi with the Volkswagen Greenprint, available now from volkswagen.co.nz/ekombi. The guide called the ‘Greenprint’ delivers a how-to plan for passionate owners to convert their own Volkswagen vehicle to a fully electric solution. Volkswagen’s goal is to continue to spread peace, love, and freedom with free-to-all access on how to convert a classic
Kombi to an EV.