More than five years after the concept’s first preview, Volkswagen’s ID.Buzz, the long-awaited successor to the iconic microbus, is now in production.
Production of the first customer examples began last week at a plant in Hanover, Germany The plant where VW manufactures its transporter and multivan models. The plant, which started in the mid-decade, will also handle production of Audi and Bentley EVs.
Delivery of ID.Buzz to Europe will begin this fall, but US residents will have to wait a little longer. VW has confirmed that ID.Buzz will arrive in the United States in 2023 as a 2024 model There has been a delay in getting a long-wheelbase body style in the United States that is still in development.
VW is building both the passenger and commercial versions of ID.Buzz, the latter known as ID.Buzz Cargo. Perhaps the US only accepts the passenger version.
ID.Buzz spaces for the US will be announced near the market launch, but the European version is 185.5 inches shorter in length and is currently offered exclusively with an 82-kWh battery and a 201-hp motor. The range reaches up to 250 miles on a single charge.
Production is expected to reach only 15,000 units by 2022, but with the addition of more markets this number will increase to 130,000 units after 2023.
Interestingly, about 92% of the body construction is automatic, 15% more than the old transporter van that was built at the Hanover plant. According to VW, digitization enables large parts of the plant to be managed even by computers and mobile devices, including smartwatches.
According to reports, VW is also considering starting production of ID.Buzz at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Production of VW ID.4, which uses a version of the MEB platform under ID.Buzz, began in Chattanooga later this year. VW has confirmed that its Scout-brand electric pickup truck and SUV will begin production in the United States by 2026. It is not clear which platform modern scouts will use.