Ever since Volkswagen pulled back the lid of the ID.Buzz concept in 2017, we've been patiently waiting for the arrival of its final production version. With the official unveiling of today's ID.Buzz, it all finally happened.
ID. Buzz will be available in 2024. First, let's dive into the details of Volkswagen's "New Look for Sustainable Mobility".
From the looks of it, the ID. Buzz isn't that new. The overall shape and proportions are still very close to the 2017 concept car, which in turn was heavily inspired by another Volkswagen concept car from 21 years ago.
Compared to the 2017 prototype, the front face of the production model is not as futuristic. The short front overhang – a key design element of the Volkswagen T1 – helps the relatively compact electric car maintain a solid stance when viewed from the side, despite its cheerful appearance.
The simplicity of the electric drive system means that a large engine compartment is not required, which allows the ID.Buzz to retain its original single-carton shape. The two-tone finish covering part of the front panel is yet another nod to the iconic T1 model. LED lights can be seen everywhere, including at the rear, where the taillights are connected by a coast-to-coast strip of lights, the first for a Volkswagen commercial vehicle.
Benefiting from the advantages of the MEB architecture, this zero-emission bus has five standard-length seats inside. In the first row there are two separate seats with adjustable armrests. Integrated into the back of each front seat back is a side chest airbag, and in the driver's seat, there is also a new central airbag. In the event of a collision, it protects the driver and the front-seat passenger from colliding with each other. Each front seat can be adjusted forward and backward by 245 mm. Behind them, there was a three-seat bench.
Later in the life of the model, a six-seater version will be added with two rows of three separate seats. In turn, the model with the extended wheelbase will be a seven-seater model with a 2-3-2 seat arrangement. With the folding of the rear seats, this initial version of the ID. Buzz can swallow 1,121 liters of cargo, but there is no trunk. By the way, Volkswagen will offer a non-animal material as an alternative to traditional leather.
If you've ever driven some of Volkswagen's ID electric vehicles, you might feel very familiar with the dashboard when you sit behind the ID's steering wheel. A standard 10-inch digital instrument panel provides core information about the vehicle, while another display on the centre console is used for infotainment functions that "look like a free-floating tablet." Below the centre display is a digital control bar where the air conditioning module and volume control are located.
ID. Buzz is scheduled to launch later this year, when European customers will get a single battery option of 82.0 kWh (net 77.0 kWh). Power comes from an electric motor with 201 hp and 310 Newton Meters of torque, matching the current Volkswagen ID.4. Unfortunately, Volkswagen is not ready to announce mileage figures, which will be announced later. More battery versions and horsepower models will be available starting next year.
The maximum power of AC charging is 11 kW, and the DC charging rate is up to 170 kW. At a fast charging station, charging from 5% to 80% will take about 30 minutes. Customers in Europe will also benefit from an optional two-way charging feature, which means they will be able to power their homes with the electricity in the battery.
As mentioned above, ID. Buzz will launch in Europe in the third quarter of this year as a standard wheelbase. Next year, the long-wheelbase model will be released in Europe, followed by a debut in the United States, and will be launched on the market in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will be responsible for the production of the ID. Buzz is manufactured at its main factory in Hanover, where the level of automation has reached 90 percent.