Deliveries to European customers begin this fall.
After years of teasering with concepts, some more realistic than others, VW Commercial Vehicles finally hit the “Start” button for the Microbus’ revival. The ID. Buzz is now rolling off Hannover’s assembly line. The factory was completely redesigned over the past two-years to accommodate the new icon. The deliveries to European customers will start this fall, while US buyers will have to wait until late 2023.
The ID is now being produced. The production of the ID has already started with Buzz Cargo. VW is now doing the same for its passenger-oriented model. The new German plant will produce the electric vehicles in addition to the Multivan and the Transporter (T6.1). Some 4,000 people received special training to ensure smooth assembly of the electric people and cargo mover.
The ID. Buzz starts at EUR46,455 for the Cargo model in Germany once you take into account the environmental rebate. The five-seater ID is also available. It retails for EUR56,606. VW Commercial Vehicles hopes to build as many as 15,000 vehicles by 2022. Once production reaches full speed, the volume will explode to 130,000 units.
The US-spec version of this vehicle will have a different wheelbase in order to fit three rows of seating. The ID is a rear-wheel drive model that VW produces with one electric motor. Buzz will soon get an AWD-equipped model with a dual motor setup. You can expect to get somewhere around 300 horsepower considering that’s what the ID.5 GTX offers.
The ID is still getting a lot of attention. It’s still a buzzword, but it remains to see how popular it will be given the high German pricing. The lack of VAT will make the US-spec model significantly more affordable, as history has shown. It won’t be easy, however, for the nostalgic-filled electric bus in a sea full of SUVs and crossovers.