With Volkswagen recently announcing that it has no plans to develop new internal combustion engines, the German automaker is clearly going all-in on electrified powertrains and electric vehicles. While EVs will play a large role in Volkswagen’s future, a few electric cars, like the ID.3 hatchback, aren’t coming to the U.S. One vehicle that we know is coming to the U.S. is the I.D. Buzz bus, which, according to Car and Driver, will come out in 2023.
Volkswagen’s head of its commercial vehicle division, Carsten Intra, confirmed the I.D. Buzz’s expected U.S.-market launch for the 2023 calendar year as a 2024 model. The I.D. Buzz will be launched in Europe before the electric bus makes its way to the U.S. And when it does go on sale in the U.S., the I.D. Buzz will have a reduced lineup that will err on the side of luxury, claims the outlet.
Car and Driver claims the I.D. Buzz will be available in both passenger and commercial versions in Europe, but the U.S. will only get a long-wheelbase passenger variant. Additionally, three battery sizes are expected to be offered, ranging from 48 kWh to 110 kWh. Range, on the European WLTP cycle, is expected to go from 200 to 340 miles.
The base I.D. Buzz is expected to be offered with a single electric motor producing around 200 horsepower and rear-wheel drive as standard. The top-of-the-line model is expected to be offered with all-wheel drive and two electric motors for a total of 300 hp. Plugging the I.D. Buzz into a DC fast charger will see the ban get 80% of range back in approximately 30 minutes.
From the photos we’ve seen of the I.D. Buzz, the electric van is expected to come with a highly configurable cabin. The van will offer three rows of seating and come with front seats that can be spun around to let the front passengers and those in the second row face each other. The center console can slide forward and backward and can transform into a table. Additionally, the steering wheel can be folded away to let passengers focus on a book, a video, or work. Unfortunately, we don’t think a lot of these features will make it to the U.S., but only in Europe, where the commercial version of the I.D. Buzz will have fully autonomous capability.
The I.D. Buzz will be just one of many vehicles in Volkswagen’s all-electric I.D. family. Other I.D. vehicles include the I.D. 3, which will only be available in Asia, the I.D. 4 compact SUV that recently went on sale, the I.D. 5 that will be a coupe version of the I.D. 4, and the I.D. 6 SUV that will be a China-only model. The I.D. family plays a large role in VW’s electrified future, as the German automaker believes that 70% of its total European vehicle sales will come from fully electric vehicles by 2030. The automaker plans to invest roughly $19 billion into its electrification plans by 2025.
The upcoming Volkswagen I.D. Buzz is based closely, at least in appearance, on the classic VW Bus. Volkswagen started to produce the Bus in 1950 and became an instant hit because of its easily-recognizable shape, spacious interior, and rear-engine layout. The Bus officially discontinued in 2013 when Brazil, the last country to manufacture the van, pulled the plug on the model when the country introduced new legislation for automobile safety.
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Pictured: Volkswagen I.D. Buzz Concept
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