BERLIN: Volkswagen unveiled a production version of its long-awaited ID. Buzz van on Wednesday, an electric reincarnation of its Microbus or Kombi, due to go on sale in a number of European countries in the third quarter of 2022.
The van will also launch in the United States in late 2023, the German automaker said in a statement, adding it is the first in a series of prototypes released in the past decade to successfully make it to production stage.
Made in Hanover with modules supplied mostly by Volkswagen Group Components in Germany, the vehicle can reach a maximum speed of 144kph, Volkswagen said. This is an improvement over its predecessor, which could only managed 96kph.
Other versions with batteries offering different power outputs will follow next year, the company said.
As is the case for all the models in Volkswagen Passenger Car’s ID. family, the ID. Buzz is also based on the group’s Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB).
Included as standard in the ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo is the "Car2X" local warning system, which uses signals from other vehicles and the transport infrastructure to spot hazards in real time.
The ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo are launching across Europe with a 77kWh battery (gross energy content: 82 kWh). It provides current to a 150kW electric motor, which – as the flat engine once did in the T1 – drives the rear axle.
The position of the battery, integrated deep down in the sandwich floor, and the lightweight electric drive system result in a good distribution of weight and a low vehicle centre of gravity.
Both factors optimise the handling and agility. The lithium ion battery can be charged from wall boxes or public charging stations using 11 kW alternating current (AC).
Via a CCS plug connector at a DC rapid-charging station (direct current) the charging power increases to as much as 170kW. When charged in this way, the battery charge level rises from 5 to 80% in about 30 minutes.
Using the latest ID. software, the model line will also offer the "Plug & Charge" function in the future.
Via this function, the ID. Buzz authenticates itself at compatible DC rapid-charging stations via the charging connector using the ISO 15118 standard. It also exchanges all necessary data with the charging station in this way – an added convenience.
Bidirectional charging enables the ID. Buzz to feed unneeded energy from the battery into the customer's home network (Vehicle-to-Home). The power transfer and communication take place via a special DC bi-directional wall box.
The length of both versions is 4,712 mm.
One feature of the ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo is the long wheelbase of 2,988 mm, roughly the same as that of the current T6.1. The turning circle of 11.1 metres, meanwhile, is unusually small.
The ID.Buzz is the first MPV with the drag coefficient of a car. The iconic clear forms are accompanied by outstanding aerodynamics: the ID. Buzz has a drag coefficient of 0.285 – 0.29 for the ID. Buzz Cargo. That reduces energy consumption and increases range. VW has not revealed range yet but it is expected to be 400km.
The bus offers space for five persons. ID. Buzz drivers and passengers experience the new Bulli feeling in a spaciously designed interior. In the MPV version, five people have ample room for travelling and for their luggage (1,121 litres of capacity). If the second row of seats is folded down, the load capacity increases to up to 2,205 litres. Two or three seats up front, as the customer desires, and a fixed partition separating off the 3.9 m3 cargo space are distinctive features of the ID. Buzz Cargo. The zero-emission cargo version can take two loaded euro pallets, loaded in transversely.
The length of both versions is 4,712 mm. By virtue of what, in relation to the overall length, is a very long wheelbase, optimal use is made of the vehicle footprint. Including roof aerial, the two versions of ID. Buzz measure, dependent on specification, 1,937 mm or 1,938 mm in height. At 1,985 mm, the new model is 81 mm wider than a T6.1. The turning circle of 11.1 metres, meanwhile, is unusually small.
