Volkswagen finally details its electric people carrier, the ID. Buzz
"Electric power, dude"
Returning to old form, Volkswagen has unveiled the ID. Buzz; a new, electric people carrier that looks just like the original Microbus. It combines original styling with modern electric vehicle technology, bringing a VW classic into the 21st century.
We’ve been waiting for the electric ID. Buzz for some time now. VW first teased the minibus almost five years ago now, and has continued to tease it online. Now that it’s finally here, the electric vehicle doesn’t disappoint.
Old design meets new in the ID. Buzz
On the outside, VW looks to the Microbus’ recognised two-colour design, and updates it slightly with new styling. The charger is right at the front of the car, down on the bumper. There are LED lights all over the vehicle, and the brake lights span the entire rear end. As you might expect from a minibus, the ID. Buzz boasts a sliding back door to make loading and unloading in the rear seats easy. At the bottom, you’ll find either 18-inch or 21-inch alloy wheels, depending on which configuration you pick.
Hopping inside the car, you’ll find the bright colours continue with the coloured accenting and seats. The classic design stops there, though. The ID. Buzz comes with not one, but two digital displays; a 5.3-inch driver display, and a 10-inch (or 12-inch if you upgrade) infotainment system.
VW’s standard ID. Buzz will seat five people, but the six and seven-seaters are on the way in 2023. With the five seats, the ID. Buzz still boasts almost 1,200 litres of boot space. There’s plenty of room for everyone to get in, and the luggage (or guitars) in the back.
ID. Buzz’s numbers: specs and stats
Perhaps the ID. Buzz’s most important stat is the range; it is an electric vehicle, after all. VW reckons you’ll be able to reach 250 miles in the minibus. This is lower than other electric cars on the market, but the ID. Buzz is pulling around much more weight. As always, you can expect the actual range to be a bit lower than this, as car manufacturers always like to use numbers from perfect test conditions.
This not-too-shabby range comes from the 77kWh battery inside the ID. Buzz. With support for 170kW fast charging through certain electric vehicle chargers, the minibus could fully charge in around half an hour under ideal conditions.
As a minibus, you’re probably not too concerned about the ID. Buzz’s 0-60. But VW has done a modest job, as the stat comes in at a modest 9.7 seconds. This is thanks to the 204hp single motor and 310 Nm of torque. In case it had to be said, the ID. Buzz really isn’t built for speed. VW has electronically limited the minibus’ speed to 100mph, which still gives plenty of flexibility.
VW is even working on a Level 4 autonomous version of the ID. Buzz. That’s a fancy term for a self-driving car (or minibus, in this case). At the Level 4 rating, the VW would be fully self-driving, just one step down from matching a human driver. Think Tesla‘s Full Self-Driving in the US rather than Autopilot.
When can I get one?
If you’re wondering when you can get behind the wheel of one of these bad boys, you’ve not got long to wait. VW is bringing the ID. Buzz to Europe first, later this year. Our American readers across the pond will have to wait slightly longer, as the ID. Buzz will debut in 2023, and make its way to driveways in 2024.
There are currently no prices for the vehicle, so we’ll have to wait and see how much it’ll set you back. You should expect VW to release these details later this year before the minibus goes on sale.
Connor Jewiss
