Five years after creating a lot of buzz with a Microbus-inspired electric van, Volkswagen has finally revealed the production model, called the ID.Buzz. For the US though, there’s a big asterisk: the US won’t see IDs at dealerships until 2024.
Simply put, Americans should not focus too much on the specifications for the European ID Buzz because it is not a US-bound Buzz.
Europe later this year will have both a five-seat version of the ID.Buzz and the ID.Buzz Cargo van. The US will have a longer wheelbase version of the van with three rows of seats.
2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz
The two Euro spec cars will ride on an 117.6-inch wheelbase and stretch 185.5 overall. It’s 76.3 inches tall – making it significantly taller than American minivans or compact crossovers like the ID.4.
In Euro form, the ID.Buzz offers 29.6 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats raised. The Cargo version has 137.7 cc behind the front seats. The US versions are likely to receive a different package, and with that plus the added length, that packaging may vary somewhat.
On the surface, it looks like VW has preserved most of the proportions of the much-loved concept, first introduced in 2017.
2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz
2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz
2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz
2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz
Inside, ID.Buzz features sustainable materials throughout and a version of the same visually appealing but functionally less efficient infotainment system that first appeared in ID.4 .
Volkswagen notes that the movable and detachable center console in the production ID.Buzz carries it all the way from the concept. And the Euro version’s revs are just 36.4 feet – great for maneuverability.
The ID.Buzz has essentially the same modular battery and motor system as the single-motor ID.4. It makes 201 hp and 229 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheel, with a usable battery capacity of 77 kWh (out of 82 kWh). Range information will be revealed later, VW said, and it will introduce “more battery versions with different power output levels” in 2023.
In the European enclosure, the ID.Buzz will charge at up to 11 kw AC (Level 2) or fast charge at up to 170 kw DC. The bidirectional charging in this model will allow it to provide a stable or supplementary mains electricity to the home.
Will the US version of ID.Buzz sustain the hype? Stay tuned, as that version of the electric truck won’t be announced until 2023.
