Volkswagen has confirmed that it will produce the I.D.Buzz electric powered Microbus that will go to market in 2022.
According to VW the I.D. Buzz will go into production after the compact four-door I.D. hatchback and I.D. Crozz crossover. The Buzz will be produced with a fully electric powertrain and will ride on Volkswagen’s scalable Modular Electric Drive (or MEB, for its German acronym) platform.
The I.D. Buzz will not only be a passenger vehicle there will also be a cargo carrier version, known as the I.d. Buzz Cargo that will be aimed at the commercial market for goods transport.
The styling of the EV is intended to remind people of the Type 1 Microbus without copying it too closely. Volkswagen’s Dr. Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management, said ‘Our goal is clear: we want to make the fully electric, fully connected car a bestseller around the world. The iconic car of the electric age must be a Volkswagen.’
He also stated that Volkswagen’s I.D. suite of electric vehicles would offer more and be more affordable than what is currently available from other electric carmakers.
The I.D. Buzz concept delivers 275kW from electric motors on each axle that also provide all wheel drive and the 111kWh battery pack in the floor of the MEB chassis provide nearly 480km of estimated range. Using a VW fast-charge system, it can recharge about 80 percent of its energy capacity in 30 minutes at 150kW.
This new electric Microbus will also feature some sort of “highly automated driving” – Level 3 autonomous capabilities.
We know that Volkswagen will be producing the I.d. Buzz for markets in the United States, Europe and China, but as of yet it has not been confirmed for South Africa.