Volkswagen plans to unveil its electric microbus, the ID.Buzz, on March 9, and with each reminder of its debut, it is leaking a bit more information about the highly anticipated electric van.
The ID.Buzz is expected to closely follow the prototype version unveiled in November for Europe. The U.S. version, set to be delivered by late 2023, will differ slightly in packaging and will be mounted on a longer wheelbase, making it overall longer than the European version’s 185.5 inches.
In the European specifications, the ID.Buzz offers 201 hp and 229 lb-ft of torque, the same as the single-motor ID.4. VW states that the five-seater will still offer 39.6 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats occupied. The U.S. version is likely to be a six or seven-seater, equipped with a larger battery. The Euro versions come with the 77 kWh usable capacity from the ID.4.
The ID.Buzz is set to arrive in the U.S. in 2023, following a long tease dating back to the well-received concept in January 2017. The model looks a bit different from the concept but closely aligns with details seen in spy photos of test vehicles. It will use the same MEB platform as the ID.4 and ID.5, as well as the European-market ID.3 hatchback and the Audi Q4 E-Tron SUV and Sportback.
Volkswagen is offsetting some of the development costs of this niche model by coordinating it with a cargo version. A conceptual version of the ID.Buzz cargo van was first shown in 2018, and reports have indicated that production of both cargo and passenger versions will be allocated to a factory in Hanover, Germany, which manufactures commercial vehicles.
