Volkswagen has finally revealed its modern take on the classic and iconic Type 2 Microbus of the 60s after five years' worth of teases.
According to a report from The Verge, the Volkswagen ID Buzz is an all-electric vehicle reminiscent of the Type 2 Microbus. Volkswagen advertised the car as the bringer of "hippies, flower power, and peace signs" for a modern era.
Details on the ID Buzz
The standard-wheelbase ID Buzz is 4712mm long, 1980mm wide, and 1938mm tall. This makes the car shorter, wider, lower than the equivalent Multivan, according to Auto Car's report.
The new ID Buzz will have different variants for customers to choose from, but all of them will come with a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive guise initially.
Customers who want a more powerful offering of the ID Buzz will have to wait for the dual-motor, four-wheel-drive models, which are set to arrive in 2023. Meanwhile, an ID Buzz California camper van is expected to be released in 2024.
Volkswagen will also offer passenger ID Buzzes with the initial five-seat standard-wheelbase model and a seven-seat long-wheelbase variant, which is currently in the works.
Although Volkswagen didn't disclose the ID Buzz's driving range, it probably could go around 300 miles on a full charge, per The Verge's report.
Charging the car at a DC fast-charging station will only take 30 minutes from an almost dead battery to 80 percent. This charging time is eight minutes less than the 2021 VW ID 4 SUV.
Volkswagen said that it would soon offer ID Buzzes with a Plug and Charge functionality. This feature will automatically identify and authorize the car to a third-party charging station instead of its owner.
Additionally, the ID Buzz will feature driver assist systems that consist of the standard Front Assist, Lane Assist, and Dynamic Road Sign Display. It will also come with optional systems, such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Side Assist, Travel Assist, Emergency Assist, Light assist, and Area View.
The Difference Between U.S. and European Versions
Volkswagen said on its press release about the car that it would be on sale for the U.S. in 2024, while Europe would get the car later in 2022, per Car Wow. However, U.S. customers will have the ID Buzz's long-wheelbase variant come 2023.
The U.S. version is expected to be the longer of the two despite Volkswagen not revealing its dimensions, which would be released when the car's U.S. version is near its launch date. However, Car and Driver mentioned in its article that the U.S. version would have 78.1 inches in width and 76.3 inches in height.
The European version will have the ability to feed power it doesn't need into the domestic grid through the car's bi-directional charging. This feature is missing in U.S. versions, per Car and Driver's article.
Volkswagen has yet to announce nor confirm any prices for the ID Buzz, but Car Wow expects that the EV will retail from around $56,600 - more expensive than the Volkswagen T7 minivan.
