This classic "van" returns in pure electric form, perhaps showing the most ideal functional application scenario of the MEB platform.
In the early morning of March 10, Beijing time, Volkswagen released a single-van (commonly known as a "van") based on the MEB platform in Germany - ID.BUZZ, which is divided into passenger car version and van version (ID.BUZZ Cargo). This is the VW brand's fifth model on the MEB platform after ID.3 to ID.6, and the first model outside of the lineup of sedans and SUVs.
The exterior of the new car pays homage to the classic model born 72 years ago, the Volkswagen T1. Since the model of the MEB platform as a whole is derived from the form of rear-drive, it is completely consistent with the rear-drive characteristics of the original Volkswagen T1. Therefore, from the design point of view, compared with the direct successor model of the Volkswagen T series, the front engine "nose" design is adopted from the T4, ID.BUZZ well restores the T1's "no front" design style, and the front part only retains the necessary collapse area, as well as the most basic functions such as radiator and glass water filling.
Volkswagen launched the retro T1 pure electric concept car in 2017
ID.BUZZ the whole vehicle adopts a double color design, the lower part of the body and the bumper part are more conspicuous bright colors, while the body half is white.
The front face is the most representative part of the double color match. The upper part only has family-style headlights, transverse light strips and large area VW Logos, forming a simple style that complements the white and simple style. The more lively color scheme in the lower part contains a diamond-shaped grille representative of the ID family, which is designed as a vent for the overall heat dissipation of the battery and the motor.
From the side, the lines of the ID.BUZZ can be described completely horizontally and vertically, and the windows are almost two straight lines extending from the A column to the D column, and there are three horizontal lines on the D column as a supplement and embellishment of the design. The dividing line of the double color block is also almost completely straight, and the track of the sliding door extends parallel to the taillight group section.
The standard axle version of the model is 4712mm/1985mm/1937mm in length, width and height, and the wheelbase is 2988mm, and the follow-up long-axis version of the model is yet to be released. The passenger car version of the ID.BUZZ with a maximum rim size of 21 inches is optional.
In addition, the overall wind resistance coefficient of the passenger car version ID.BUZZ optimized to 0.285 (0.29 for the Cargo version), while pursuing as much space as possible, do not sacrifice the endurance level too much, which is crucial for ID.BUZZ (of course, due to the large orthographic projection area of the ID.BUZZ itself, the actual wind resistance will still be at a high level).
The overall rear design is also relatively simple, with a through-line taillight strip, a small tail wing, a large VW logo and a subtitle logo of "ID.BUZZ" that together constitute its main design elements. In a way, ID.BUZZ is a model designed to give way to functionality, and the double-matched color scheme is its most daring avant-garde (but at the same time paying homage to the classics) elements.
Inside, the front of the cockpit is seated in a higher position, and the transparent dual A-pillar design ensures a spacious view. Half of its dashboard is still the familiar Volkswagen ID family cockpit design style, including a touch-type air conditioning & lighting control module, a standard 10-inch suspended central control screen (optional 12 inches), and an operating system upgrade to vw. Os 3.0 version, the only difference is that the gear lever is moved from the right side of the instrument screen to the steering column, and the digital instrument size has also been improved.
At the same time, because the vertical space of its cockpit is quite rich, and the depth in front of the instrument panel is deep, the ID.BUZZ specially designed a layer of air conditioning outlet, and the level that originally belonged to the air conditioning outlet below has been placed in more storage space, and the left and right sides of the main driver have storage compartments for mobile phones, and the co-driver has realized the design of double-layer storage.
The pure electric platform eliminates the drive shaft, and the floor is fully flat, so the lateral passage between the main and co-drivers is retained, which is one of the most classic designs of this type of van, but the backward passage is replaced by a huge storage box. In order to improve safety, its front seats are equipped with side airbags, and the main seat is also implanted with "middle airbags" to avoid the cabin collision of the occupants of the main and co-pilots in the event of an accident, better restraining the occupant posture and improving the overall safety.
The seats of the whole vehicle can choose between solid or double color design, and the material is made of recyclable materials such as polyurethane, one of which is called Seaqual yarn, which is composed of 90% recycled PET water bottles and 10% marine plastic, which is more in line with the environmental protection concept of ID.BUZZ zero emission. The front row offers functions such as adjustable armrests, seat power adjustment, and supports position adjustment up to 245mm in front and rear.
Its rear row currently adopts a three-seat design, and will also provide 2+2+2 seats and 2+3+2 seat seat layouts in the future (it is reported that entering the US market will first be 2+3+2 seats), and the wheelbase will increase by about 3 inches (about 76.2mm).
The front seats offer a small table with cup holders behind them, and there is also a wealth of storage space on the door panels, so the rear center seats are not designed as armrests with cup holders, but this may also affect the comfort of the ride to some extent. Perhaps ID.BUZZ design was prepared for a fully loaded scene at the beginning.
When it comes to loading capacity, ID.BUZZ' not to be compromised. The five-seater passenger car version can carry at least 1121 liters of luggage, and can be extended up to 2205 liters of luggage space, and there is no worry about loading capacity in almost any travel scenario.
The Cargo version of the rear cabin window adopts a closed design, eliminating the left sliding door, and the cargo can only be loaded and unloaded from the rear or right side.
The front seats have been reduced to manual adjustment, but the intelligent interactive form basically retains the functions of the passenger car version. The rear compartment can have a loading space of up to 3.9 cubic meters (3900L).
In terms of powertrain, the ID.BUZZ series adopts the same ID.4 rear-drive motor, with a maximum power of 150kW, a peak torque of 310N·m, and a maximum speed of 145km/h. The battery uses a battery with a total capacity of 82kWh (usable capacity of 77kWh), but the battery life results are not announced. The ID.4 has a maximum WLTP range of 520 km and an EPA range of 249 miles (401 km) for the same powertrain and battery, which is expected to be slightly shorter than the ID.BUZZ. However, if the long-axis version is ID.BUZZ launched, there will be more space to accommodate the battery, and it is not known whether its endurance performance can be further improved.
ID.BUZZ Europavre models currently support 11kW AC slow charging, as well as up to 170kW fast charging, which can be charged from 5% to 80% in 30 minutes. ID.BUZZ also support external discharge, which can be used as a backup power source for the home, storing and utilizing solar energy, wind energy and other forms of electric energy, or providing power supply when traveling, further improving the convenience and environmental protection of life.
ID.BUZZ is currently being produced at Volkswagen's plant in Hanover, Germany, and will start pre-sale in Europe in May this year and officially launch in the autumn. Its passenger car version is also expected to hit the North American market in 2024, but the van version is not currently intended to land in the North American market.
Speaking of the Chinese market, although Volkswagen has not announced the specific time process, considering that Volkswagen has previously stated that the T7 Metrohmed (that is, the seventh generation of T1 models) released at the Munich Motor Show will not enter the Chinese market, correspondingly, the opportunity to replace the T6 ID.BUZZ as Volkswagen's multi-functional vehicle in the Chinese market is still relatively large.
Metaway T7
Volkswagen T series is one of Volkswagen's most classic car series, since the Beetle, the T series is the real evergreen tree of the Volkswagen family, the history has been 72 years (even far longer than the golf's 48 years of history), the global cumulative sales of more than 13 million vehicles, in the minds of European, North American and South American consumers, there are high recognition.
The space advantages brought about by the reasonable layout form of the pure electric platform are fully utilized in the body form of the van vehicle. At the same time, as a type of model with a long average mileage under daily use scenarios, the characteristics of pure electrification and zero emission can also effectively reduce the cost of use and pollution. All in all, the advantages of each dimension of pure electric drive have been fully amplified in ID.BUZZ, which is a very worthy product to look forward to.
The author of this article is a kick car gang Wen Feng