In a bit more than two weeks from now, Volkswagen will finally and officially unveil the ID. Buzz in its full glory. It’s the production version of an electric microbus concept revealed some five years ago. The Wolfsburg-based automaker is not ready to unveil all the details regarding the EV bus, though it has shared some initial specifications about the European version of the model.
On the Old continent, the ID. Buzz will go into production later during the first half of the year with a market launch scheduled for this fall. It will be available as a cargo and a passenger vehicle, both riding on what Volkswagen describes as the short-wheelbase chassis (2,988 mm). A longer, three-row variant will be sold in the United States starting next year with an available two-tone exterior option.
Gallery: Volkswagen ID. Buzz: First Drive Review
VW has also confirmed something we already knew - the ID. Buzz is based on the Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB) platform and shares its components with the ID.3 and ID.4. At launch, a rear-mounted electric motor will drive the ID. Buzz providing a peak output of 201 horsepower (150 kilowatts). A lithium-ion battery with a net content of 77 kWh will store the electric energy.
It’s worth mentioning that when we drove a prototype of the ID. Buzz earlier this month, Volkswagen all but confirmed to us a larger battery is going to be added at some point in the future. Unfortunately, we don’t know how big this battery will be and when it will be added to the range. A more powerful, dual-motor setup could also be in the cards. The German automaker is also not ready to reveal the official range figures yet as these are probably still a matter of homologation.
Regardless if you go for the ID. Buzz or ID. Buzz Cargo, the maximum speed will be electronically governed at 90 miles per hour (145 kilometers per hour). The passenger version will offer room for five people and up to 39.58 cubic feet (1,121 liters) of cargo. In turn, the cargo model will have three seats in the front and up to 137,72 cu ft (1,900 liters) of cargo space. As standard, Volkswagen promises over-the-air updates for the ID. Buzz - and the entire ID family, and a broad range of customization options in the interior.
Last but not least, the bidirectional charging feature will allow owners to store excess power from a home’s own solar panels in the ID. Buzz and to feed it back into the home. Oh, and one more thing - there's no frunk at the front (see below). Sorry!
