For a long time now, it’s been rumored that it would happen. Finally, it has arrived—the production model of the VW ID. Buzz, a futuristic take on the original VW Bus, was recently released. The new bus is fully electric and has plenty of power, unlike the old one which was noisy and underpowered.
The Bus was as much of a symbol of Americana as its more diminutive sibling, the Volkswagen Beetle. Known colloquially as the Microbus and formally as the Volkswagen T1 or Transporter, it was commonly referred to by its latter moniker. While the American public often associates the Bus with the Hippie movement, it served as a transport method for big families for years before the minivan was developed.
There has been a rise in the popularity of the original Microbus among enthusiasts. Versions that were retained in excellent condition have recently fetched prices in the six-figure range. A tiny Microbus is the most expensive Hot Wheels car in the world, reaching up to $150,000.
VW claims that its designers intentionally avoided making the ID. Buzz look precisely like the original van, but the van served as inspiration for many of the ID. Buzz’s exterior details. Two-tone exterior colors, like the one on the old van, are offered on the new model. It retains the original’s compact “overhangs,” or length from the wheel wells to the ends of the body, at both the front and the back. The short overhangs not only make the van look more like a Microbus, but they also make the interior more spacious.
The Microbus, like the Beetle, featured a compact engine in the trunk. Similarly, the electric motor that drives this van is located in the back of the brand-new minibus. The 201 horsepower that this version’s engine can generate is a significant improvement over the small two-digit numbers seen in the original Bus. VW has promised to announce additional Buzz models, each with its own set of specs and power levels. Volkswagen has been silent on how far a single charge of the ID. Buzz will take you, though.
Battery packs for Buzz are concealed in the base of the unit. That makes for agile handling for a van, as VW claims, thanks to the vehicle’s low center of gravity. Its technology is similar to other recent Volkswagen electric vehicles, including the ID.4 crossover SUV.
The Volkswagen Group, the parent company of the Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, and Bentley brands, is betting big on EVs and anticipates that 25% of its sales will be EVs by 2026.
Last year, they accounted for around 5% of VW Group’s worldwide sales. VW Group, which includes Audi and Porsche, is selling the electric Audi E-Tron and Porsche Taycan in the United States, in addition to the ID 4. Bentley wants to sell only electric vehicles overseas by 2030, joining the ranks of Volkswagen Group rivals Skoda and Opel, which currently offer electric vehicles.
The ID. Buzz‘s cabin shares design cues with the ID.4, including a gear selector knob, mounted behind the steering wheel. Colors on a light bar beneath the windshield alert the driver to obstacles and approaching turns. A digital display of a rectangular shape serves as the gauge cluster. You may use the navigation and multimedia displays on the 10-inch touchscreen, and a 12-inch screen will be an optional upgrade.
The ID. Buzz’s cabin will not have genuine leather but rather synthetic materials designed to look and feel like the real thing. In addition, there will be fabrics that are entirely manufactured from recycled plastics.
Two wheelbase sizes (regular and extended) will be available for the electric bus worldwide. The United States will exclusively offer the long-wheelbase model. The initial model will have space for up to five passengers, with an extended version for six to follow. As many as seven people can ride in the long-wheelbase model.
VW will also sell cargo vans that can seat three people in the front: the driver will have a regular seat, and there will be a bench behind it for passengers. The cargo space is separated from the passengers by a wall.
The ID. Buzz was released in Europe last year, and the North American version is expected to be released in 2024; however, there may be minor differences in the technological specifics.
