Volkswagen used the past weekend’s 2023 Amelia Concours d’Elegance in Florida to confirm the debut of the U.S.-spec ID.Buzz electric van this summer.
The debut will take place in California and a showroom appearance should follow shortly after. The ID.Buzz, whose styling mimics VW’s iconic Microbus, has previously been confirmed to arrive as a 2024 model.
The U.S. will receive as standard a long-wheelbase version of the electric van, which is still out testing in prototype form. The standard-wheelbase version has been on sale in parts of Europe since 2022.
The standard-wheelbase version 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, which will create enough space to add three rows of seats. The standard-wheelbase version only has two rows.
Volkswagen ID.Buzz (Euro spec)
Volkswagen ID.Buzz (Euro spec)
Volkswagen ID.Buzz (Euro spec)
The long-wheelbase version is also expected to spawn a commercial van option in some markets, offering more than 137 cubic feet of hauling space with a fixed partition behind the front seats. The setup was previewed by 2018’s ID.Buzz Cargo concept. Also in the works is a California camper version, which we may see at the upcoming California debut.
Underpinning the ID.Buzz is Volkswagen Group’s MEB 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 will accommodate a battery with a 111-kwh capacity. Such a capacity should enable 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 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.
