Volkswagen plans to reveal its ID.Buzz electric Microbus in production form on March 9. But with each reminder of the pending reveal, it’s trickling out a little more information about the long-anticipated electric van.
The ID.Buzz is expected to follow closely on the prototype version teased in November—for Europe. The U.S. version, not due for U.S. customer deliveries until late 2023, will vary somewhat in packaging, and it will ride on a longer wheelbase and thus be longer overall than the European version’s 185.5 inches.
In European spec, the ID.Buzz delivers 201 hp and 229 pound-feet of torque—the same as the single-motor ID.4—and VW says the five-seater will still offer 39.6 cubic feet of cargo space with all the seats occupied. The U.S. version is likely to be a six- or seven-seater, with a bigger battery pack. The Euro versions are equipped with the ID.4’s 77 kwh of usable capacity.
VW in January teased the ID.Buzz with a camouflage scheme, very closely following the theme applied to its ID.4 in prototype form—and the production form varied little from that. So it’s likely a good indication of what the production ID.Buzz will look like.
VW ID.Buzz teaser from Klaus Zellmer, VW sales and marketing chief
The ID.Buzz is due in the U.S. in 2023, after a long tease that goes back to the well-received January 2017 concept. We even drove the concept a few months after its reveal at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show.
This model looks quite a bit different than the concept, but it closely aligns with details seen in spy shots of test vehicles. It will use the same MEB platform as the ID.4 and ID.5, as well as the European-market ID.3 hatchback and the Audi Q4 E-Tron SUV and Sportback.
VW is covering some of the development costs for this niche model by coordinating it with a cargo version. A concept version of the ID.Buzz cargo van was first shown in 2018, and reports have indicated production of both the cargo and passenger versions will be allocated to a Hanover, Germany, factory that builds commercial vehicles.
