Compilation / Zhang Gull
Editor/ Zhang Linyu
Design / Leather
Source/The Verge/Flamenco Campers By Andrew J. Hawkins
Remember the counterculture movement in the West in the 1960s? Young people complained, hippies confronted tradition, radical, creative and subversive avant-garde design became popular. The famous Volkswagen van T1 in the history of automobiles was born in that era.
After a long wait by fans, the production version of this iconic model finally returned to everyone's attention on March 9, 2022 with a new attitude.
"Classic T1 represents the democratization of freedom and mobility. Through ID Buzz, Volkswagen has continued the DNA of T1 to this day, entering the era of electrified mobility and sustainable development with a new attitude. Jozef Kaban, head of Volkswagen's design department, said in a statement.
The ID Buzz and its commercial model, the ID Buzz Cargo, will hit Europe later this year, with an extended wheelbase version for the U.S. market unveiled in 2023 and launched in 2024. According to foreign media reports, although the price has not yet been announced, it is expected to sell from nearly $50,000.
Classic Volkswagen T1▼
The Volkswagen van is on a par with its smaller sister model, the Volkswagen Beetle, and has written its own ornate hall of fame as a cultural icon. Its official name, the Volkswagen T1 or Transformer, is associated with the hippie movement and adds a layer of rebellious and ostentatious spiritual attributes.
High-value ID Buzz
While Volkswagen's designers didn't want to simply recreate the look of the classic T1, many elements of the ID Buzz were clearly inspired by fuel cars. The new van offers the same daylight lemon yellow two-tone livery scheme as the original (Volkswagen offers a total of 11 colors).
ID Buzz▼
Inside, the gear selection knob behind the steering gear puts the van into a driving or reversing state; the light bar under the windshield uses color to convey information to the driver, such as an obstacle on the road or an upcoming turn. The dashboard is a rectangular digital screen with a 10-inch (25.4 cm) touchscreen for navigation and entertainment, and a 12-inch (30.5 cm) screen will be available as an option.
The European version of the ID Buzz won't be as big as other vans on the market, with a wheelbase of just 117.6 inches (2988 mm). The extended wheelbase version for the U.S. will be longer when it goes on sale in 2024, and Volkswagen did not disclose the specific size. The European version is 185.5 inches (4.7 m) long and its front overhang is very short.
These ultra-short front suspensions, or vehicle lengths beyond their wheelbase, will be one of the defining features of id Buzz. For example, the wheelbase of this van is more than the Volkswagen ID. 4 9 inches (22.8 cm) long, but the overall length is only 5 inches (12.7 cm). It is 185.5 inches (4712 mm) long, does not include mirror widths of 78.1 inches (1985 mm), heights of 76.3 inches (1937 mm), and even the European version has 138 cubic feet (3.9 m3) of cargo space.
When you step into the car, you can feel the spaciousness of the space. The standard-length ID Buzz will introduce five seats, all of which can be adjusted. The front seats can be moved forward and backward by 9.6 inches (24.5 cm), while the three-seat bench in the rear row can be fully folded or separated in a 40:60 ratio and can be moved 5.9 inches (15 cm) longitudinally.
A six-seat configuration with a standard wheelbase will be released at a later date, with individual seats arranged in three rows of two in each row. A seven-seat configuration with extended wheelbase will also come in the form of a 2/3/2. The cargo version of id Buzz will be more spacious, with the option of single front seats and fixed partitions to separate the storage area at the rear.
ID Buzz cockpit with Volkswagen ID. 4 Similarly, a 10-inch (25.4 cm) dashboard pairs with a 10-inch centrally positioned infotainment system. The car's software can be updated in the air and supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
What Volkswagen really emphasizes is the modularity of the ID Buzz interior, where the console is completely removable and removable. This option is a continuation of the 2017 concept version. It became a multifunction box with enough space inside to hold a large number of gadgets and even a laptop. For families who often have to deal with cookie crumbs in their cars, removing the center console for a thorough cleaning will be a big selling point.
The ID Buzz is also one of Volkswagen's most sustainable vehicles, with its leather-free interior made of recyclable materials made from 10 percent marine plastic and 90 percent recycled PET bottles.
Inner beauty
The cute exterior design seems to obscure much of the wisdom inherent in ID Buzz. In Europe, Buzz Cargo will be equipped with sensors and software to enable autonomous driving functions. The fully autonomous version of Buzz won't appear until after the regular version is released. Buzz Cargo is expected to become the volkswagen group's first ever released autonomous vehicle.
Volkswagen said the van will serve as a platform for its full commercial ride-hailing and delivery business, which is scheduled to launch in Germany in 2025.
ID Buzz (left) accommodates families and luggage, while ID Buzz Cargo can accommodate two 1.2 x 0.8m pallets. (Photo: MARTIN MEINERS/VOLKSWAGEN)▼
When it is released, ID Buzz will be added to the ID. 3 hatchbacks, ID. The 4-compact SUV and the upcoming ID.5 coupe are the latest additions to Volkswagen's fast-growing lineup of electric vehicles (Volkswagen's ID line also includes a concept version of the large SUV ID Roomzz and dune car ID Buggy).
All of this is built on Volkswagen's MEB modular electric vehicle platform. As Volkswagen's goal of electrification transitions, this re-enactment of the classic all-electric ID Buzz will play a key role as one of the first electric vans specifically for home sales.
The ID Buzz seems to have more of a mission on it than any other model. Everything from the two-tone paint to the Volkswagen logo, which stands out on the grille, tells the story: it carries on the glory of the past and must also be modern. Jeffrey Lear, Volkswagen's head of product, called ID Buzz an 80-20 split, 20% nostalgic and 80% forward-looking.
So, does this mean we can expect an electric Volkswagen Beetle next? Lear replied slyly: "I haven't seen anything yet, nor heard any rumors, but there are a range of possibilities for this platform. ”
Both ID Buzz and Buzz Cargo have the same drag coefficient as regular cars (Photo: MARTIN MEINERS/VOLKSWAGEN).▼
The first European version of ID Buzz will feature a battery pack with 81 kWh of energy, of which 77 kWh is available. It will power the rear axle motor, delivering 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet (311 Nm) of torque.
Volkswagen limited its top speed to 90 mph (145 km/h), and it was clear that the car was spared. However, considering that its "ancestors" can only reach 60 mph (97 km/ h), I believe most consumers or fans will not be too disappointed.
Volkswagen did not disclose the mileage, but estimates are about 300 miles (483 kilometers) when fully charged. The charging power when using alternating current (AC) is 11 kW. With DC fast charging, the charging power can be increased to 170 kilowatts. Volkswagen claims that it takes only 30 minutes for the car to be charged from 5% to 80%.
The concept of the future: electric vehicles into grids
ID Buzz will also offer plug-and-play functionality in the future, a standard that enables it to automatically identify and authorize third-party charging stations on behalf of the owner.
But ID Buzz has enough charging support thanks to Volkswagen subsidiary Electrify America, which has more than 670 charging stations across the Country, including nearly 2,900 independent DC fast charging points. Like Tesla, Volkswagen definitely has a place in the field of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, which is also very beneficial to its development of electric products.
The European version of the van and its commercial vehicles will be equipped with two-way charging, in which case the vehicle can act as a power source for other electrical equipment and even for the entire home. Volkswagen envisions that the ID Buzz will eventually be used to dredge the grid during peak demand periods.
In addition to Volkswagen's ID Buzz, other major car companies have also proposed this idea of "electric vehicle sub-grid", and the Pacific Natural Gas and Electric Power Company (PG&E) in the United States has cooperated with BMW and GM respectively.
BMW and PG&E are working together to explore whether electric vehicles can support California's troubled grid (Credit: BMW).▼
Classic Volkswagen van
The Volkswagen van was originally conceived by Dutch businessman Ben Pon. He is a Volkswagen importer in the town of Amersfoort and an exporter of popular Beetle cars in the U.S. market. In 1947, while visiting the Volkswagen factory, he saw a flat parts transporter made of the chassis of the Type I and was inspired to sketch the first Volkswagen van.
Just three years later, Volkswagen transformed these initial drawings into what would later be a symbol not only of a tool car carrying people, but also of what was needed for industry and trade in the capitals of major European countries. The same T1 can still be found in the Volkswagen Museum today.
Ben Pang's sketch▼
Ben Pang's creation became a sign of the irregularity and turmoil of the 60s, a symbol of California's hippie culture, a symbol of thought represented by Bob Dylon and Joan Baez, and a new way of life that broke with the conservative society of the time.
Subsequently, Volkswagen produced as many as four generations of models, up to the current T5. None of them broke with the concept of traditional and previous models, each of which achieved greater success, so much so that in the 50s Volkswagen began to build a huge factory in Hanover dedicated to the production of this model and made it independent of the main factory in Wolfsburg.
Today, they produce more than four different versions of the T5 model, and as they did many years ago, continue to compete non-stop with the changes and needs of society, and today it is also considered a symbol of a free and relaxed lifestyle.
No other car in the history of the automobile has delivered such a message to the public and users as the T1. Safer, more comfortable, and freer in all aspects of everyday life, in the city, while camping with family or friends, or just enjoying another way of traveling (caption source Amanda Lopez/The Verge).