When Volkswagen launched the new MEB platform as the foundation of their pivot to electric mobility, they promised us a range of fun electric vehicles would be built on it. Thus far in America, things have skewed more toward conventional crossovers than zany electric dune buggies. But after years of teasing, VW is finally about to launch a more exciting model: the ID. Buzz, an electric tribute to the classic VW Microbus.
When will the ID. Buzz arrive in America? What will it look like? How much range and power will it have? Here's what we know so far.
When will the VW ID. Buzz launch?
Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess announced that the company would unveil the ID. Buzz on March 9th. Expect it to debut in Europe later in 2022 before arriving in the U.S. sometime in 2023 as a 2024 model year vehicle.
What will the ID. Buzz look like?
VW revealed it as the a very neon concept, but spy shots have shown a very prosaic-looking white test mule. The production ID. Buzz should look somewhere in between the two. Expect two-tone paint as a nod to the classic VW Microbus. The face should feature a similar horizontal light bar to the ID.3 and ID.4.
Will the ID. Buzz have all-wheel drive?
Yes, it should. We know the ID. Buzz will run on the MEB platform like the ID.4 crossover. VW listed an output of 369 horsepower for the initial ID. Buzz concept, but the production ID. Buzz may track with the ID.4 and Audi Q4 E-Tron, offering a 200-horsepower rear-wheel drive model and a 300-ish hp dual-motor AWD one.
How much range will the ID. Buzz have?
Volkswagen listed 372 miles of NEDC range — which would work out to around 260 miles by EPA testing — for the ID. Buzz concept. A safe bet would be somewhere in the 230-250-mile range, as with the ID.4 crossover. The RWD model would likely offer a bit more than the AWD model.
The electric VW van will be different in America
Europeans will get a range of ID. Buzz vehicles, with both short and long wheelbases and both commercial and passenger versions. (There will even be self-driving versions...eventually.) Americans, however, will only get the premium long-wheelbase passenger model.
Will the ID. Buzz offer a camper van version?
Almost certainly. VW unveiled plans for an ID. California in a presentation about European plants. The California is VW’s fancy camper van successor to the Westfalia we don’t get in America. That vehicle will almost assuredly be based on the ID. Buzz.
It’s not clear whether that specific model will come to America — never say never. But if not, the ID. Buzz should come with a wide range of camper van-friendly accessories.
How much will the VW ID. Buzz cost?
VW has not yet announced pricing for the new ID. Buzz. But per Edmunds, we can expect the starting price of the base model to be around $40,000.