Driven by popular demand, Volkswagen announced that it is planning on selling a production version of the award-winning I.D. Buzz concept electric vehicle in 2022.
The I.D. Buzz is the second EV concept that VW has revealed for production, along with the original I.D. concept slated to enter production around 2019 as a 2020 model, while the I.D. Crozz concept has shown how an electric VW SUV could look.
All three use VW's Modular Electric Drive kit (or MEB, for its German acronym), a group of components and chassis parts engineered to maximise the potential of electric drive and future technology.
Designed to recall the original Type 2 Microbus without mimicking it, the I.D. Buzz concept has won several awards in the months since it was revealed at the Detroit Auto Show.
The front V in the bodywork calls back to the two-tone predecessor on the original Bus, but in the I.D. Buzz carries a light strip that surrounds the vehicle and gives it a unique visual signature.
The LED headlights have hexagonal segments that act as “eyes” to communicate the vehicle's status.
With near-zero body overhangs and 22-inch wheels, the I.D. Buzz manages to look modern and timeless, one of the hallmarks of Volkswagen brand design.
The first VW Bus sold in the United States in 1950 had all of 30 hp.
The I.D. Buzz concept sports 369 hp from electric motors on each axle that also provides all-wheel drive and the 111 kWh battery pack in the floor of the MEB chassis provide nearly 300 miles of estimated range.
Using a VW fast-charge system, it can recharge about 80 percent of its energy capacity in 30 minutes at 150 kW.
But just like the original Microbus, the design and engineering of the I.D. Buzz concept and MEB platform provide ample space for passengers or cargo, with an expansive view of the surroundings.
There's even a front trunk, just like the original VW Beetle.
The I.D. Buzz concept also offers a preview of the type of autonomous technology that VW will develop for future models, namely its fully automated “I.D. Pilot” mode that could go into production by 2025.
The new I.D. Buzz will be the seventh generation of the bus.
You can check out the prototype here: