Deliveries to customers in Europe start this fall.
After decades of teasers, some more believable than others, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has finally pressed the start button on the rebirth of the Microbus. The ID. Buzz is being produced in Hannover, where the facility has been rebuilt over the last two years to suit the resurrected icon. Deliveries to European consumers will begin this fall, while shipments to US customers would not begin until late 2023.
The ID. Buzz Cargo has already entered production, and VW is now moving forward with the passenger-oriented version. At the remodelled German facility, the electric cars will join the Multivan (T7) and Transporter (T6.1). Approximately 4,000 personnel underwent specific training to ensure that the electric people (and cargo) mover assembly went well.
The ID. Buzz starts at €46,455 in Germany for the Cargo model after the environmental discount, as previously reported. The ID. Buzz Pro is a five-seater that starts at €56,606. VW Commercial Vehicles plans to build up to 15,000 units by 2022. Once production reaches full capacity, the output will skyrocket to 130,000 automobiles.
The US-spec model will be distinct in that it will have a larger wheelbase to accommodate three rows of seating. The ID. Buzz will get a more powerful AWD-equipped variation with a dual-motor arrangement, although VW presently only produces a rear-wheel-drive type with a single electric motor. Expect somewhere in the region of 300 hp considering that’s what the ID.4 GTX and ID.5 GTX offer.
Although the ID. Buzz is still generating a lot of buzz, given the hefty German pricing, it’s unclear how popular it will be. Of course, experience has taught us that the US-spec model will be far less expensive due to the lack of a value added tax (VAT). However, surviving in a sea of crossovers and SUVs will be difficult for the nostalgic electric bus.