The German brand Volkswagen finally unveiled yesterday in detail its ID.Buzz, the combi electric
surfing on the nostalgia of the mythical T1, symbol of road trips and flower power. A vehicle eagerly awaited by users who have finally been able to discover the modern version of this legendary van.
The presentation of the vehicle yesterday was an event in itself as the aura of its predecessor still hangs over the van market, more than 60 years after the start of production of the T1.
Peace, love and electricity
We had not heard of Volkswagen’s famous combi since 2013 officially, with the cessation of its production in Brazil, the last country to benefit from new models of the vehicle. However, the German manufacturer has never forgotten this model which contributed to its worldwide fame, and announced its return in 2017 in a more modern version called ID.Buzz. Yesterday, in Paris, the electric van was finally presented in detail; the opportunity therefore to take the tour of what he has to offer us.
The 100% electric ID.Buzz remains in the purest tradition of its esteemed big brother: 4.71 meters long for 3 meters wheelbase (the distance between the axles of the front and rear wheels), almost 2 meters wide and a trunk load volume of 1121 litres, which can be doubled by folding down the three rear passenger seats. The new Volkswagen van will be released in a family version but also in a cargo version for professionals. In the future, the family version will be able to expand with six- and seven-seat models.
A 150 kW motor powered by a 77 kWh lithium-ion battery will propel the ID.Buzz to a maximum speed of 145 km/h but it is not yet known how much autonomy the vehicle will have. It will have a bidirectional charger, i.e. it can be charged on one side and evacuate excess energy on the other, either to redistribute the current or to recharge objects (practical for camping for example) at the same time.
Between tradition and modernity
According to Jeffrey Lear, Product Manager for ID.Buzz, the van is built on an idea of “80-20”: 20% nostalgia, 80% modernity. To recall the T1 model, the manufacturer delivers the ID.Buzz with a two-tone chassis and puts the logo large on the front of the vehicle. Everything else is thought out and adapted for modern use.
No animal materials were used in the production of the seats and the steering wheel, which are made from recycled materials; the various elements of the interior and the chassis are built with 10% plastic recovered from the oceans and 90% recycled plastic bottles. In addition to its exterior design, the combi software is also a means of completely modernizing the vehicle with its 10-inch screen placed in the center of the driving position and which will support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Finally, the utility model Buzz Cargo will initially offer semi-autonomous driving features – Volkswagen aims to release a fully autonomous model later. Pre-reservations of the ID.Buzz will be launched next May and the model will be released in France in the fall of 2022.
Source: The Verge
16