After five years of teasing, the long-awaited debut of the Volkswagen ID Buzz finally came. The German automaker unveiled the all-electric truck at a virtual event on Wednesday, positioning ID Buzz as a re-creation of its popular Type 2 microbus — think hippies, flower power, and peace signs — for a more modern era.
ID Buzz and its commercial equivalent, Buzz Cargo IDAnd the It will arrive in Europe later this yearwith a longer wheelbase version for US markets due to be made For the first time in 2023 It will go on sale here in 2024.
We still don’t know much – mainly the price. But ID Buzz will play a crucial role as VW continues along its transformational path of environmental offense (Remember Dieselgate?) for EV leader. The truck will serve as a showcase for MEB’s modular electrical architecture, and will be among the first electric trucks to be marketed specifically with families in mind.
The truck has been slightly updated from A concept that captured many people’s imaginations in 2017. The grille is slightly different, with larger vents than you might normally expect from an electric car. The overall shape is boxy, with sharper corners and a longer road story.
But Volkswagen has stayed surprisingly true to the original design, even going so far as to offer the same Day-Glo yellow and lime paint scheme as an option. (VW offers a total of 11 different colors.)
The first European version of the ID Buzz will have a battery pack with a power capacity of 81 kWh, of which 77 kWh is usable. This will power a rear hub motor capable of putting out 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque. But let’s face it: This isn’t an electric car meant for the track—in fact, VW limits the truck’s top speed to 90 mph (145 km/h). Given that its predecessor can hit 60 mph (usually while cruising downhill), this shouldn’t be too frustrating for most customers.
VW doesn’t reveal driving range, but all signs say about 300 miles on a full charge. The charging power when using alternating current is 11 kW. In the DC fast charging station, ID Buzz’s charging power increases to up to 170 kW. Volkswagen claims the car will charge from 5 to 80 percent in just 30 minutes – or just eight minutes less 2021 VW ID 4 SUV.
In the future, Volkswagen says ID Buzz will offer plug-and-charge functionality, the standard that enables an EV to automatically identify and delegate itself to a third-party charging station on behalf of the owner.
But ID Buzz should have enough charging support, thanks to VW’s Electrify America, which has more than 670 charging stations across the US, including nearly 2,900 DC fast chargers. Like Tesla, Volkswagen has a reputation in the game when it comes to electric vehicle charging infrastructure, which will go a long way in luring car owners away from the warm embrace of the combustion engine.
The European version of the truck and its commercial equivalent will come with two-way charging, where the vehicle can also be used as a power source for other electrical appliances or even for an entire home. VW says it envisions ID Buzz eventually being used to “smooth” the electric grid during times of peak demand – similar Claim Made by other major automakers.
The European ID Buzz won’t be as big as other minivans on the market, with a wheelbase of just 117.6 inches (2988 mm). The US version will be longer when it goes on sale in 2024, although Volkswagen hasn’t revealed the size. Overall, the European version is 185.5 inches long, in part because the overhangs are too short.
These very short overhangs, or the length of the car that extend beyond its wheelbase, will be one of the hallmarks of ID Buzz. For example, the truck is about 9 inches longer between axles than the VW ID 4 but only 5 inches longer overall. It is 76.3 inches (1,937 mm) high and 78.2 inches (1,895 mm) wide in mirrors, and even the European version has 138 cubic feet of cargo space. This is more than just a Cadillac Escalade, so it’s big on the inside.
In essence, Volkswagen is introducing an entirely new form factor to the electric vehicle market. Hot slots for her Come And the goldand currently electric crossovers and compact SUVs Driving the moment. They will soon be replaced by trucks And the Luxury SUVs, which has proven to be the favorite profile of American car buyers. In this swirling mass of sizes and shapes comes a truck, both familiar and utterly unique. Not a minivan – microbus.
Jeffrey Lear, Product Manager at ID Buzz at VW, said: the edge. “Really cool packs, very short studs, really low center of gravity, and ID Buzz, thanks to our modular electric motor, is now able to tick all those same boxes.”
This spaciousness is evident as soon as you enter. The standard ID Buzz will launch with five seats, all of which are adjustable. The front seats can be moved up to 9.6 inches (245 mm) forward and aft, while the three-person seat in the rear can be folded completely down or split 40:60, and can be moved for an overall length of 5.9 inches (150 mm).
On the standard wheelbase, a six-seat configuration will come later, with individual seats arranged in three by two rows. With the extended wheelbase, a seven-seater configuration will also be available in a 2/3/2 arrangement. The cargo version of the ID Buzz will be more spacious, with an option for a single front seat and a fixed partition to separate the rear storage area.
The cockpit of the ID Buzz is similar to the ID 4, with a 10-inch cluster paired with a centrally located 10-inch infotainment system. (A larger 12-inch screen is optional.) The vehicle’s software can be updated over the air and will support both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
VW truly emphasizes the modularity of ID Buzz’s interior design, with a movable and fully removable center console. This option, carried over from the beta version, allows the center console to turn into a multifunctional box that can be moved in the middle of the second row of seats. There is plenty of room inside for a plethora of gadgets, including a laptop, but the cleaning possibilities are enormous. Removing the center console for a thorough cleaning will be a big selling point for families who often have to deal with dangerous levels of crushing crumbs in their cars.
The ID Buzz will be one of VW’s most sustainable cars, with a leather-free interior that uses recycled materials and a fabric made from 10 percent pooled ocean plastic and 90 percent recycled PET bottles.
The ID Buzz’s great design and functionality belies a lot of the wit that goes under the surface. in Europe, charging buzz It will contain sensors and software that Volkswagen says will enable self-driving capabilities. But a completely standalone version of Buzz won’t be available until after the regular version is released. VW Group, which also owns Audi, Skoda and Porsche, expects it to be the first independent car ever launched.
We’ve already dealt with ID Buzz images covered in high-tech sensors and devices in their role as Autonomous test vehicle in Germany. Volkswagen said the autonomous microbus will be a A platform for large-scale commercial transportation and delivery operations which it plans to launch in Germany in 2025.
When it’s released, ID Buzz will join ID 3 HatchbackAnd the ID 4 compact SUVAnd the ID 5 coupe will be released soon As the newest member of Volkswagen’s fast-growing electric vehicle group. (China will also have an extended ID 6 at some point in the future.) The VW ID family also includes concept versions of a large SUV (Roomzz . ID) and dune buggy (Buggy ID). All are built on Volkswagen’s standard MEB electric vehicle platform.
But no one will have to walk the tightrope the same way as ID Buzz. “This car has to play an exacting role,” said Jeffrey Lear, product lead. “It has to balance the two sides, right? It has to be modern and new and exciting for people who may not have been around during those times,” referring to the heyday of the original microbus in the ’60s and ’70s.
Lear noted that the cues are still there, from the two-tone paint job to the very prominent VW logo on the grille. However, it would be a delicate balancing act. “I’ll call it like an 80-20 split,” he said, “with 20 percent nostalgia and 80 percent looking forward.”
Does this mean that we will get Volkswagen Beetle electric next one? “I haven’t seen anything, I haven’t even heard any rumours,” said Lear slyly, “but there are a bunch of possibilities with this platform.”
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