Volkswagen introduced the ID. Buzz concept in 2017 and teased us several times before unveiling the final production version yesterday. While the EV bus will be available in passenger and Cargo models, the latter will not reach U.S. soil officially. The sale of the passenger ID. Buzz will start in 2024 for the U.S., but Europe will have it in 2022.
Exterior
If you had seen the ID. Buzz concept, you might not find many differences in the production model. The general design and proportions are pretty much similar to the concept, which actually was based on the VW T1 concept van introduced 21 years earlier.
Thanks to the electric powertrain, the ID. Buzz does not require a big engine section, and that let it keep its one-box design. The two-tone shade is another hint of the T1. Furthermore, we can find LED lights on the front and the back.
Seating and Cargo
Thanks to the MEB platform, the VW ID. Buzz EV will be available with different seating options. At the start, we will get a five-seat model with the front seats getting a side thorax airbag fused into the backrests, and a new centre airbag between the passenger and driver seat. In case of a collision, this airbag will protect the front occupants from crashing into each other.
A six-seat model with two rows of three seats will be accessible later. The U.S. market will get an extended wheelbase ID. Buzz with seven seats and sales initiating in 2024.
The five-seat model with rear-seats folded offers up to 39.6 cu. ft (1,121 litres) space. You can also store stuff in the frunk and opt for vegan leather instead of conventional leather.
Interior
If you have been into a Volkswagen’s ID electric car, you will find the ID. Buzz very familiar with a regular 10-inch digital instrument cluster and another display on the centre console, available in a 10-inch screen and a bigger 12-inch to control the infotainment functions.
Battery and Power Figures
It is worth noting that the ID. Buzz will be available in Europe this year as a 2022 model boasting a sole 82.0 kWh (77.0 kWh net) battery pack powering a single motor and generating 201 horsepower (154 kilowatts) and 229 pound-feet (310 Newton-meters) of instant torque. It is the same power output we get in the present VW ID.4. Sadly, the automaker didn’t reveal the driving range. Furthermore, we will know about other battery choices and their outputs later on.
Charging
An AC station offers a maximum of 11.0 kW power, while a CCS connector at a DC station let you charge up to 170.0 kWh. VW claims a charging time of half an hour from 5 to 80 per cent on a quick charger. The European consumers will also be able to use an available bi-directional charging function to power their households through electric energy generated by the battery.
The VW ID. Buzz passenger and cargo models will hit the European roads this year followed by a long-wheelbase variant next year. The U.S. will get the same extended-wheelbase model in 2024 but it will be a few inches longer (3.0 inches to be exact) than its European sibling.
Both the models will be built by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles at its central factory in Hannover, where machines develop 90 per cent of the vehicle automatically. The price will be revealed at a later date.
Source and Images: Motor1