The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is finally coming to the United States in June this year. The Wolfsburg-based automaker recently confirmed to Motor1.com a long-wheelbase version of the electric bus will arrive on this side of the big pond very soon and we have a new batch of spy photos, showing two completely undisguised prototypes testing on public roads in Northern Europe.
This isn’t our first look at the ID. Buzz LWB, though – about two months ago, a different test car was caught with no camouflage showing its final production design. This time around, one of the prototypes wears a funky orange exterior finish, which seems to fit the van’s nature perfectly. The vehicle rides on aftermarket Dezent wheels fitted with winter tires. As for the other prototype, it wears factory Volkswagen wheels, though they feature a more standard and less glitzy design than the ID. Buzz’s fancier rims options.
We don’t know much officially but word on the street is the longer wheelbase model will be 10.6 inches (30 centimeters) longer than the standard model, which is currently sold in Europe and other regions of the world with a length of 185.4 inches (4.71 meters). The only available configuration for time being is a single-motor electric van with 201 horsepower and a WLTP range of 263 miles. A more powerful dual-motor variant with all-wheel drive and 335 hp is under development and it is expected to be sold in the US, too.
The longer wheelbase will allow for a third row of seats to be installed and it is believed the electric bus will get a smart rail system. It will make it possible for the seats to rotate, swivel, and slide in different directions, making the cabin of the ID. Buzz a more practical and usable area. It will be very interesting to see whether this longer model will also receive a larger battery pack and there are already rumors circulating the internet that a 111-kWh battery pack could be introduced at a later date.
In North America, the ID. Buzz LWB will go on sale later this year as a 2024 model. The full tech details and pricing are expected to be announced in June.
