The Volkswagen ID.Buzz has captivated car buyers with its retro styling and electric drivetrain, and customers won’t have to wait much longer, as VW confirmed the upcoming electric van will be available here this summer, according to Motor1.
The VW ID.Buzz announcement came from the German brand’s appearance at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, where a European spec VW ID.Buzz and countless other Volkswagen vans from the company’s history were on display.
Not much is known about the upcoming ID.Buzz other than a few key details that have been made public. The van coming to the U.S. will be the brand’s extended wheelbase version, not the smaller five-seater version currently available for order in Europe. Other specifications, such as battery capacity and range, have not yet been released, though we can get a good idea from the model available across the pond.
The European ID.Buzz, starting at $52,276, comes with an 82 kWh (77 kWh usable) battery and a single motor powering the rear wheels producing 201 horsepower, much like other VW MEB vehicles. The range of the vehicle has not yet been released, but many anticipate a range between 200 and 250 miles.
All of this should be taken with a grain of salt, knowing any of this could change with the long-wheelbase version coming to the U.S.
While there is no doubt the ID.Buzz could be a significant seller for VW in the coming years, it could also facilitate an important inflection point in its EV sales in North America. Currently, despite finding early success in the U.S. market, the VW ID.4 has yet to grip consumers as its significantly more popular gas models have. At the same time, VW continues to battle with overall marketshare in North America, losing out to American and Japanese competitors.
The ID.Buzz made its rounds on social media following the Amelia Island event, with many online personalities getting to drive the vehicle on American roads for the first time. And from the response from onlookers, VW may be primed for massive success with the van after its debut later this year.
Abby Andrews