The long wait for Volkswagen’s ID.Buzz to arrive in the U.S. is almost over. VW on Thursday announced the local debut of its electric van is set for June 2.
VW has teamed up with an organization called National Day Calendar to make June 2 the official day of the Microbus, so the debut is fitting since the ID.Buzz is the spiritual successor to the van icon.
The debut will take place in Huntington Beach, California, and VW wants fans to attend. The automaker is organizing live entertainment as well as a Cars & Coffee-style gathering for Bus owners.
A showroom appearance for the ID.Buzz won’t happen until 2024, VW has confirmed. The automaker also confirmed the U.S. will receive as standard a long-wheelbase version boasting three rows of seats. The standard-wheelbase version has been on sale elsewhere since 2022, in two-row and stripped-out commercial configurations. Also in the works is a California camper version, which may appear at the upcoming California debut.
Volkswagen ID.Buzz (Euro spec)
Volkswagen ID.Buzz (Euro spec)
Volkswagen ID.Buzz (Euro spec)
The standard-wheelbase ID.Buzz measures just 185.5 inches in length, or about 1.5 inches shorter than Tesla’s Model Y compact crossover. The long-wheelbase version should add about 10 inches between the wheels.
Underpinning the ID.Buzz is Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform designed for mainstream EVs. It’s also found in the VW ID.4 already in U.S. showrooms. While the biggest battery in the ID.Buzz at present is an 82-kwh unit, the long-wheelbase body can accommodate a bigger battery. VW has previously hinted at a 111-kwh battery, which would be big enough to deliver a range approaching 300 miles on a charge.
Production of the ID.Buzz is handled exclusively at VW’s plant in Hannover, Germany. This is the same plant where VW builds its T-series line of vans sold overseas. The T-series is actually the direct successor to the original Microbus, and it entered its seventh generation in 2021. There have been reports that VW is considering adding ID.Buzz production in the U.S. The automaker already builds the ID.4 at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
