Volkswagen Buzz ID
Release date: October 2022 (UK), 2023 (US)
price: From €64,581 (estimated), US price TBA
Energy: RWD / AWD (200-300 hp)
battery range: 250 miles (estimated)
0-60 mph: 8.5 seconds
Smarts: VW Travel Assist, the ultimate level 4 autonomy scheme
The VW ID Buzz is coming, and Volkswagen is hoping its iconic truck will attract a lot of attention as it reinvents it in the age of electric cars.
ID Buzz is expected to hit the US in 2023, and VW claims an electric car could be fully autonomous by 2025, which is pretty exciting. You can also expect a spacious interior, a high-tech cockpit, and seating for up to 5-7 adults.
What we’ve seen so far looks like the original Volkswagen has been kidnapped by aliens, after a complete change of sci-fi, and then crashes back to Earth almost 60 years later. While the truck is still a long way from release, and details are a bit scarce, here’s what we know so far.
VW ID Buzz pricing and availability
We don’t have an exact release date for the VW ID Buzz yet, but Volkswagen has confirmed it will go on sale in Europe in late 2022. UK sales were expected to open in late May, with delivery scheduled sometime in October, but it appears that this It hasn’t happened yet.
The North American version will go on sale in the United States in 2023.
Multiple types of truck are for sale. It appears that both Europe and the United States are getting commercial variants of services like product delivery, called ID Buzz Cargo.
The only pricing information we have right now is from Germany, with ID.Buzz starting at €64,581. That comes to $68,861 when converted into US dollars, but we can expect the truck to cost significantly less at the expense of the German rate including the 19% tax rate. Sources talk to Cnet cars (Opens in a new tab) It claims the truck will start at $55,000 in the US.
Europe will also get a six-seater model with all passengers facing forward, with information screens in the front seat. The American model will also get a passenger model, but the layout will be different because two rear seats will face the back of the truck.
VW ID Buzz: performance and range
There are two ID Buzz models that have now been confirmed. One is equipped with a rear-wheel drive with a capacity of 200 hp, and the other is equipped with all-wheel drive with a capacity of 300 hp.
According to VW, that power means the truck runs a 0-62 mph time of 8.5 seconds, and a top speed of 90 mph. It’s a truck, after all, and it wouldn’t have Tesla Model S performance levels — although that’s still pretty impressive for a car of this shape.
Range numbers haven’t been confirmed yet, but VW has hinted at a WLTP range of 250 miles. This is according to the European test standard, and the US approved EPA test cycle will undoubtedly be more conservative.
The ID Buzz will have a 77 kWh battery as standard. This battery is hidden inside the floor structure, which will enhance the interior space. In terms of charging, the battery can handle up to 22 kW AC charging and 170 kW DC fast charging. The truck supports bi-directional charging as well, if you have a compatible wall charger at home.
Designed by VW ID Buzz
The passenger iteration of the VW ID Buzz feels like classic VW trucks of yesteryear – albeit with some styling choices that suggest VW is trying a bit too hard to make it look futuristic.
But the basics are there, with a two-tone color scheme, open sliding doors, and plenty of indoor space for your trips to the beach, the woods, or wherever else you might go.
Volkswagen has confirmed that you’ll get 39.5 cubic feet of boot space, without having to fold the rear seats. In other words, this truck is a very spacious machine.
Moreover, there are two glass panels in the roof, one above the driver and passenger, and another larger panel above the rear seats. The truck also comes with LED headlights and an extra-large VW logo – just in case you forgot who made it.
Charging type varies slightly, and the design has been changed accordingly. So think of the regular ID Buzz crossed with a Ford Transit truck, and you get the idea.
The cabin is mostly the same, but the back of the truck is fully enclosed, with room for cargo. According to the VW photos, there is room for two loading pallets there, which should be room for a small-scale hauler.
Volkswagen ID Buzz Interior and Features
Inside the VW ID Buzz, of course, is very roomy. That’s the word Volkswagen uses, and based on what we’ve seen, it’s hard to disagree.
Initially, the truck will only be available with five seats, which means plenty of room in the trunk. 39.5 cubic feet, in fact, can expand to 77.8 cubic feet if you fold the rear seats down. It’s not the largest electric car out there, the Tesla Model X has 91 cubic feet of cargo space, but it’s pretty loud.
VW also says there will be an option to raise the cargo floor, allowing owners to convert the stern into a bed. Unfortunately, the standard model isn’t completely flat in the back, which can make trying to sleep a little uncomfortable.
A seven-seat model is also slated to launch sometime next year, but details are scarce for now.
The instrument panel comes complete with a 5.3-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, along with a 10-inch infotainment screen. However, it appears that a 12-inch option will also be available.
The ID Buzz prototype featured a steering column that looked like it was inspired by Tesla’s controversial Yoke steering wheel. However, the production model opted for a standard wheel shape, complete with a gear selector controlled by a lever.
The truck has a fairly simple approach overall, although Volkswagen hasn’t gotten rid of all the buttons. It’s still less scattered than some cars on the market, suggesting that a lot of the car’s functions will be controlled via the touchscreen – something we haven’t been impressed with before.
From a seat perspective, Volkswagen appears to have opted for a comfortable-looking setup – although the real standout feature is the fact that both front seats have armrests. Whether they are helpful, or will get in your way, is up to you to decide.
The cabin will also come with ample storage space, with a dashboard compartment that folds down to reveal two large cup holders and generous storage compartments at each door. The center console has also been renamed “Buzz Box” and features multiple pods with a bottle opener and an ice scraper. Although we don’t recommend trying to use both at the same time.
Like the Genesis GV60, the center console doesn’t extend to the front of the truck, providing a more spacious feel than you may be used to.
Volkswagen has also promised to offer a vertical display of augmented reality, which is designed to display directions directly on the road ahead. However, this does not appear to have appeared in a production model yet, and the final cut may not have been made.
The independence of VW ID Buzz
There is no such thing as a fully self-driving car, nor a car you’ll see on public roads anyway. There are six levels of autonomy, as provided by the Society of Automotive Engineers, ranging from level 0 (zero autonomy at all) to level 5 (no driver input at any time). Most cars are currently in Level 1 or 2, although there are a very small number of Level 3 autonomous cars for sale in parts of the world.
Apparently, Volkswagen wants to have ID Buzz on the roads with Level 4 automation by 2025. Level 4 means that, for all intents and purposes, the car moves itself independently. However, there may still be cases where a human driver needs to intervene, bypassing the independent controls manually.
The idea is that the various variants of ID Buzz, in theory, should be able to move people and goods on their own in just three years. This is clearly a very big problem, especially given the number of times automakers have promised to continue significant progress in the field of autonomy that never lives up to expectations.
Whether or not Volkswagen can deliver is another matter. What we do know about the production Buzz ID is that at launch, the car will have limited driver assistance features in the form of Volkswagen’s Travel Assistance – a combination of adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist. ID Buzz also provides automated lane-changing software at speeds up to 56 mph.
VW ID Buzz Overview
VW obviously wants to make sure the ID Buzz is more than just an electrified version of its classic truck. But it is still a very ambitious project, and we will have to wait and see if the German automaker can actually achieve many of the advances it is trying to achieve by 2025.
Then again, even without cool features like Level 4 autonomy, or an oddly trapezoidal steering wheel, it’ll be interesting to see what ID Buzz has to offer. The only downside at the moment is that the car is only present in concept and prototype form, so we can’t actually analyze important stats like range. So only time will tell
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