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The Volkswagen Westfalia Camper is associated with the Seventies, the Summer of Love and nature-loving hippies.

Now the iconic van is about to get greener because the bus is being reborn as an electric vehicle, a Volkswagen board member revealed.

No images of the new vehicle have yet been released, but Dr Heinz-Jakob Neusser suggested that battery packs would be hidden under the vehicle's floor and a small electric motor will drive its front wheels.

The iconic Volkswagen Westfalia Camper (pictured here including an extendable roof) is about to get greener, because the bus will be reborn as an electric vehicle, a Volkswagen board member revealed

The Volkswagen Westfalia Camper ceased production in 2003, and while VW has rolled out two concept 'microbuses' in recent years, neither have the charm or iconic good looks of its original.

Speaking at the New York International Auto Show, Dr Neusser didn't give any specific design details away, but said that the new version will share some features with the Westfalia Camper, because the placement of the motor and batteries will allow designers to borrow aspects of the original 1950s design.

Speaking at the New York International Auto Show, Dr Neusser didn't give any specific design details away, but said that the new version will share at least three key features with the Westfalia Camper. Volkswagen has unveiled two prototype 'microbuses' including the Bulli (pictured) in recent years

No images of the new vehicle have yet been released, but Dr Heinz-Jakob Neusser suggested that battery packs would be hidden under the floor in the vehicle and a small electric motor will drive its front wheels, making the new Camper van more environmentally friendly than its predecessor (an example is pictured)

'It's easy to bring battery space into such a vehicle, because you can put them under the floor. We have these systems already,' he told AutoExpress.

By eliminating the need for a conventional petrol engine, VW's designers could position the cabin further forward, to mimic the layout of the original. 

Engineers are currently working on the concept car and Dr Neusser said that the design will go into production if it's financially viable. 

It's expected that the concept will be revealed in two to five years time. 

The German automaker resurrected its beloved Beetle in 1997, after various iterations of the model were made for over six decades, between 1938 and 2003, suggesting it may repeat this success story with the VW Camper.

Engineers are currently working on the concept car and Dr Neusser said that the design will go into production if it's financially viable. VW also unveiled four prototype Beetles at the US auto show, including the orange Beetle Wave (pictured) which features fabric patterns from the 1950s and 60s as well as a wooden dashboard

It unveiled four new concepts for its Beetle car, including two coupés and two cabriolets.

One of them is the Beetle Cabriolet Denim, which comes in 'stonewashed blue metallic' with a denim-like texture on the soft roof, while the orange Beetle Wave features fabric patterns from the 1950s and 60s as well as a wooden dashboard, which the company says 'reflects the American spirit on the East and West coast beaches of the USA'.

The Beetle Pink Edition is simply pink, but the R-Line Concept is a sporty version with a 2.0 TSI engine, wrap-around body panelling, a black diffuser and large rear spoiler.

The Beetle R-Line Concept is a sporty version with a 2.0 TSI engine, wrap-around body panelling, a black diffuser and large rear spoiler