The Volkswagen ID. Buzz will arrive in North America next year, and the German automaker wants to ensure it runs smoothly. Volkswagen of America CEO Pablo Di Si warned dealers against ID.Buzz price markups.
Volkswagen recently held a media roundtable, where Di Si said discussions with dealers about the ID.Buzz is ongoing. The meetings include how the company will handle customer orders if demand is overwhelming.
“We need to find a fair way … for the consumer and the dealer---there’s no overpricing, that the system doesn’t crash. We have, I would say, another three to five months to figure it out. We don’t have the solution yet,” said Di Si.
Di Si said he wants dealers to make money on the VW ID.Buzz but doesn’t want to penalize customers for purchasing the all-electric vehicle, reported Automotive News.
“I don’t think people should pay more,” he said. “We cannot make a mistake with this vehicle. With respect to the customer… let’s discuss it. We have a good relationship with the [dealer] network. We cannot have markups.”
Volkswagen marked the return of the iconic microbus to North America on June 2 with a launch event in California. The German automaker plans to release the ID.Buzz with a long wheelbase for extra storage space in the U.S. and Canada. VW ID.Buzz units bound for North America will have two additional features: air-conditioned seats and an illuminated VW logo at the front.
Volkswagen plans to start ID.Buzz deliveries in North America by 2024. The electrified microbus units will be made in Germany, so they won’t qualify for tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). However, Di Si believes ID.Buzz customers could benefit from the IRA’s tax incentives through leasing, pointing out automakers can pass the IRA’s clean commercial vehicle credit of $7,500 to customers if they lease an EV.
Abby Andrews