On March 10, 2022, Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles jointly launched a new pure electric bus ID in Hamburg, Germany. Buzz and pure electric van ID. Buzz Cargo, further expanding its ID. family of products. Pre-sales of both cars will begin in May, starting with some European countries as early as this fall and will also be sold in North America thereafter. But there is no news yet on whether it will sell in China.
ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo will be produced at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles' plant in Hanover, and parts for its electric drive system modules will be manufactured in Germany by the Components division of the Volkswagen Group.
The two Volkswagen Bulli models, which are considered electric versions, were born in the 1950s as the Volkswagen T1, when the minibus was once popular around the world. After more than half a century, Volkswagen has given new life to its classic models in the form of pure electric vehicles.
Ralf Brandst tter, CEO of Volkswagen's passenger car brand, said: "ID. Buzz will be another iconic product in the era of electric mobility, and it is also a product unique to Volkswagen. In the 1950s, the Volkswagen Bulli model represented a yearning for the popularity, autonomy and sentiment of the emerging vehicle. And ID. Buzz brings this lifestyle into our time: zero emissions, sustainability, full connectivity and a new chapter in the future – autonomous driving. By ID. Buzz, for the first time, we have achieved the concentrated embodiment of the core elements of the ACCELERATE strategy on a single product. ”
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle CEO Carsten Intra said: "Two IDs. Buzz is a pioneer in achieving sustainable mobility across the board, producing and delivering carbon neutral goals. In addition, we use recycled and synthetic materials, and the interior does not use leather products at all. Future, ID. Buzz will also be used for self-driving mobility services such as multi-person ride-sharing, which can be booked through the Group's MOIA software. The electric Bulli will be a new part of the future of city mobility. ”
As a member of the Volkswagen ID. family, ID. Buzz is based on the MEB platform, which is the world's first scalable all-electric vehicle platform for mass production, which uses a new electrical and electronic architecture that can continuously upgrade vehicle software through OTAs to obtain the latest technological features and user experience. At present, about 30% of the Pure Electric Vehicles of the Volkswagen Group are built on the MEB platform. The proportion is expected to exceed 80% by 2025.
Both models are driven by a rear-drive, with an electric motor with a maximum power of 150 kW and a maximum torque of 310 N.m placed on the rear axle of the vehicle, with a maximum speed of 145 km/h. Models launched in the European market will be equipped with a battery pack with a total capacity of 82 kWh and a usable capacity of 77 kWh (the remaining 5 kWh is safe redundant power). However, Volkswagen has not yet released the mileage data of these two cars.
Thanks to the battery system at the bottom of the vehicle and the lightweight electric drive system, the vehicle has a balanced front and rear weight distribution and a very low center of gravity, which optimizes handling and agility.
In terms of charging, the power can reach 11kW in AC mode, and the DC fast charging power through the European CCS standard charging port can reach 170kW, which can be charged from 5% to 80% in only 30 minutes. Using the latest version of id.software, ID. Buzz will also provide a "plug and charge" function in the future, which can automatically authorize compatible DC fast charging stations by using the charging interface of the ISO 15118 standard and automatically complete the necessary data exchange with the charging station. In addition, the two-way charging function will make the ID. Buzz is able to use excess power from the battery to power the user's home grid (V2H).
In terms of driver assistance, both models will use the new ID. software, and both models will be equipped with a number of driving assistance functions as standard. For example, the Car2X local traffic warning system can grasp the danger information in real time through the signals shared by other vehicles and traffic facilities. Also standard is the Front Assist pre-crash safety system, which also includes lane keeping on the MPV model.
In addition, the Travel Assist full-speed domain driver assistance system based on group driving data will be an optional feature that not only provides partial autonomous driving functions in the full speed domain range, but also adds the highway automatic lane change assistance system for the first time. The new "Memory Park" feature enables automatic parking along pre-stored routes.
ID. Buzz presents a new face of sustainable mobility. ID. Buzz's unique design is visually presented around these advanced technologies. "The T1, an iconic model of the 1950s, gave people more freedom of travel. Nowadays by ID. Buzz, we're putting the DNA of T1 into this era of electric mobility. Jozef Kabaň, head of brand design at Volkswagen, said, "ID. Buzz allows people to empathize more and get closer when they travel. ”
In a tribute to the Volkswagen T1 model, ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo also features V-shaped panels, but the V-shape is less sharp. In addition to traditional elements, the new car has more design elements that conform to the current aesthetic and technological trends, such as integrated LED headlights and huge front bumpers. The body can also be equipped with a two-color livery (candy white with lemon yellow, star blue, vitality orange and bay green).
The length, width and height of the two models are 4712*1985*1937mm (Cargo body height is 1938mm), the wheelbase is 2988mm, compared to the overall body length, the long wheelbase characteristics are very prominent, can make full use of the interior space. The compact body size allows for flexible driving, with a steering diameter of only 11.1 meters.
ID. Buzz Cargo is also the first MPV model to have a sedan-like drag coefficient of only 0.29 (ID. Buzz has a wind resistance coefficient of 0.285), which embodies the core principle of automobile manufacturing of "form serves function". In fact, the design of the first T1 Bulli was based on the need for functionality. Excellent aerodynamics help reduce energy consumption and increase vehicle range.
The front suspension of the ID. Buzz is short, and the spacious interior space is clearly laid out and the use of space is fully optimized. For environmental reasons, its interior materials use a large number of synthetic materials to replace leather. The 5-seat ID. Buzz offers a comfortable cab-like cabin where even 5 people can enjoy a spacious ride, while luggage space is available in 1,121 litres. When the second row of seats is receded, the luggage compartment capacity can be expanded to 2205 liters.
As a van, ID. Buzz Cargo can be equipped with two or three seats in the front row according to different user needs, and is separated by a fixed partition and the 3.9 cubic meter cargo compartment in the rear, which can be loaded with two horizontal European standard pallets.
ID. Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo Market Outlook Analysis:
ID. Buzz is a small bus with a body length and wheelbase similar to that of a C-Class sedan, offering 5 seats and ample seating and carrying space. ID. Buzz Cargo is a van that offers 2 or 3 seats and is primarily used to carry goods.
In the European market, the Volkswagen T1 has a high visibility and user base, and the ID. Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo's marketing will help. It is unclear whether Volkswagen plans to produce the two models at its MEB plant in China or sell them in China in import form in the future. However, as far as the specific situation of the Chinese market is concerned, it is not expected that the two cars will not have much market space. Household users will choose sedans or SUVs, and the passenger demand for smaller passengers is mainly met by minibuses, which are too niche for 5-seater pure electric minibuses. Users of pure electric vans are very price sensitive, and if local production cannot be achieved, their prices will be unaffordable for users.