One of the big benefits of owning an electric vehicle is having a "frunk." That is, an extra storage compartment up front where the engine would traditionally live in a gas car. Ford offers a frunk in the Mach-E and Lightning pickup, while Tesla has one in nearly all of its cars. But Volkswagen is one of the few holdouts, with the electric ID.4 foregoing the frunk. And apparently, that will carry over to the electric ID. Buzz, too.
On a prototype drive in the UK this week, Motor1.com's Director Of Video, Clint Simone, got a closer look at the ID. Buzz and found the only thing hiding behind the front compartment was washer fluid and the like. As in the ID.4 crossover, it looks like the ID. Buzz might not have a frunk when it reaches production.
Granted, these are still prototypes and things could change on the way to final production. But, Volkswagen tells us that due to its limited front overhang, there's simply no space in the ID. Buzz for that extra storage up front. And based on the video we took – which shows the tiny compartment is just big enough for essential elements – it's easy to see why VW decided against it.
Although it lacks a frunk, the ID. Buzz should pack at least 201 horsepower (150 kilowatts) from a rear-mounted motor, with battery capacities ranging from 48.0 to 111.0 kilowatt-hours. Range figures for the US haven't been finalized, but the ID. Buzz should get up to 342 miles (550 kilometers) of range in Europe on the WLTP cycle.
The VW ID. Buzz goes on sale in Europe first and should hit markets close to the company's headquarters in Germany by the end of 2022. But American buyers will have to be more patient, as the ID. Buzz won't arrive on US shores until the second half of 2023 as a 2024 model year model.
