Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Norway has celebrated the success of its EV strategy with a one-off, all-electric office chair!
December 2022
Broadly acknowledged as the electric vehicle (EV) capital of the world, in 2022 almost 90% of new vehicles sold in Norway were either fully electric or plug-in hybrid. Incentivised via numerous government initiatives, including tax, toll and parking fee exemptions, Norway has been leading the way in terms of a transition away from internal combustion engine technology for several years.
Notably successful in this market, Volkswagen has committed to selling only all-electric vehicles – via both its passenger and commercial divisions – in Norway by as early as 2024.
A celebration of the inroads made, to date, within its home market, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Norway has released a one-off, electrically manoeuvrable office chair!
Undertaken by a small team of in-house engineers and powered by a small electric motor, the project simply dubbed “The Chair” has an operating range of up to 12-kilometres between charges, with a claimed top speed of 20 km/h. Included in the packaging is embroidered badging, a heating function for the seat cushion, LED headlamps, an integrated ambient lighting system with a vibrant “work party” setting, an audio system, parking sensors with a reverse camera and even a tow hitch. A hooter is included for those times when an office assistant doesn’t look left before leaving their cubical…
“The challenge was to include as many of the functions available in a Volkswagen into and office chair,” says technician Martin Gautron. “Secondly, both the look and feel of the product needed to be in-line with the qualities a VW customer has come to expect.”
Additional functionality comes in the form of a USB charging port and a storage compartment large designed to securely stow a laptop.
With power sent to two of the chair’s five 4-inch wheels, VW’s smallest EV to date can naturally only be operated once the driver’s seatbelt has been fastened.
