After Half A Decade Of Waiting, VW Finally Unveils The ID Buzz

After years of toying with the public, Volkswagen finally unveils the ID Buzz, a modern recreation of the Type 2 Microbus.

There's nothing more exciting than the reincarnation of an iconic classic. Since the electric vehicle revolution descended on us, it's not surprising that many iconic car reincarnations from yesteryears is now being reimagined as EVs. 

After five years of rumours, teasing and testing, a futuristic version of VW's iconic Type 2 Microbus has finally broken cover, and it's exactly what we have come to expect, especially coming with a two-tone paint job and a very prominent VW logo on the grille.

The long-awaited debut of the Volkswagen ID Buzz finally took place via a virtual event, where VW positioned the ID Buzz as a recreation of the Type 2 Microbus, or Transporter or Kombi, depending on who you ask.

The Buzz has a dimension of 4,712 mm, 1,985 mm wide, 1,937 mm high with a wheelbase of 2,988 mm. This means that the ID Buzz is roughly the same length as that of the current T6 Multivan, which some consider to be the sixth generation version of the original Microbus.

According to VW, the ID Buzz can carry up to five people comfortably, with a cargo space of 1,121 litres, while the ID Buzz Cargo offers three seats with 3,900 litres of cargo space. So yes, there is no seven-seater ID Buzz for now, but we can't see that being the case for long.

The cockpit of the ID Buzz is similar to VW's other EV, the ID 4, with a 10-inch gauge cluster paired with a 10-inch centrally positioned infotainment system. Like the ID 4 and most EVs, the vehicle's software can be updated over the air and supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The ID Buzz will also be one of VW’s most eco-friendly vehicles, coming with a leather-free interior that utilizes recycled materials and fabrics made from 10% collected ocean plastic and 90% recycled PET bottles.

Developed using VW's MEB platform (a modular car platform for electric cars developed by the Volkswagen Group and its subsidiaries.), the ID Buzz will get a battery pack with a capacity of 82 kWh, a rear-wheel-drive electric motor with 201 hp and 310 Nm, as well as a limited top speed of 145 km/h (considering that its ancestor only had a top speed of 97 km/h, this is quite a speed up).

Despite its debut, VW is still tight-lipped about its driving range, but rumours show that the EV bus should come with 450 kilometres of electric range fully charged. Speaking of charge, the battery will be charged at 11 kW when using an alternating current power source. The ID Buzz's charging power increases to as much as 170 kW at a fast DC charging station. VW claims the vehicle can go from 5% to 80% in just 30 minutes.

One of the most exciting aspects of the ID Buzz is its bidirectional charging, where the vehicle can be used as a power source for other electrical devices or perhaps even to power up a home. 

Interestingly, VW says the Buzz will come with a whole host of sensors that will enable it to have autonomous driving capabilities, but a fully autonomous version of the Buzz won’t be available just yet.

VW Group, which owns other brands such as Porsche and Audi also expects the futuristic Microbus to be its first autonomous vehicle ever released.