The Electric VW ID Buzz Van Will Debut on March 9
The classic shape returns, this time powered by electricity.
Nearly 20 years after Volkswagen dropped the Eurovan from its U.S. lineup, the iconic VW van shape is coming back. On March 9, VW will reveal the production version of its electric ID Buzz van, as confirmed by company CEO Herbert Diess on Twitter.
The ID Buzz, as it's known, will be built with both rear- and all-wheel drive, with the latter supposedly having up to 369 horsepower. Batteries as large as 111 kilowatt-hours will provide an anticipated range of more than 300 miles, propelling Buzzes with body styles ranging from commercial vans to a confirmed ID Buzz California camper. Sales are expected to commence in 2023.
The ID Buzz's final design has already been more or less revealed by VW, which in November shared images of a lightly camouflaged example that looked like a Fruit Stripe Gum promo car. It wasn't the slab-fronted shape most associate with the classic Type 2 bus, but a more modern form with a rounded nose and a raked, minivan-like windshield. It's a shape compromised by aerodynamics and crash safety requirements, but one could argue the VW bus's ethos was always function-over-form, so it's fitting in that regard.
VW will have next to no competition in the electric minibus segment, save for possibly Canoo, an EV startup that promises to launch a similar, van-like EV this year for $34,750. That's probably cheaper than the ID Buzz will be, though Canoo first needs to figure out how to handle production before it worries about competing with one of the most iconic VWs of all time.
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