Volkswagen: ‘Entry-level ID. Buzz coming’

Volkswagen is set to introduce a new variant of the electric ID. Buzz, featuring a smaller battery. The move must make the model’s price point more accessible to a larger customer pool. Projected to be a genuine hit number, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is scaling up its production volume.

In an interview with Automobilwoche, Lars Krause, a board member for Marketing at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, revealed that the new variant will come equipped with a 62 kWh battery. However, he did not detail the market launch date or the price. It could cost around 50,000 euros, almost 25% cheaper than today’s base version.

Ramping up to threefold today’s output

Currently, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is busy kicking off production of the sporty ID. Buzz GTX and the long-wheelbase versions will be available within the remainder of the year.

Only 35,000 units left the factory in Hanover last year, but the department targets three times more in the medium run. In an intermediate phase, Krause highlighted his ambition to double production in the latter half of the year compared to last year.

The iconic Volkswagen Microbus is making a grand comeback in an all-electric form. The three-row electric van is poised to roll out in the US this year.

Tailored for the US market, this version features a longer wheelbase and a larger 91 kWh battery to handle the extra load. However, Volkswagen is reportedly looking to manufacture the van locally in the US, which could prove key to its success over the protectionist incentives from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which heavily subsidizes local automotive assembly.

Two-thirds is a plausible customer rate

Volkswagen’s electric van line-up is set to expand with new additions. Krause is optimistic about significant growth potential, noting that two-thirds of their customers could handle their daily needs with an electric van, up from the current 10% delivery rate.

The upcoming VW Crafter, planned for a 2028 release, will be entirely electric. Additionally, the next-generation VW Transporter, to be built by Ford Otosan in Turkey, will feature a battery-electric version, joining the ID. Buzz in VW’s electric fleet.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is committed to electric mobility, aiming for 55% of its vehicles to be electric by 2030. Krause anticipates that electric drives will dominate the van market in Europe within the next three to four years, driven by both pan-European requirements and national legislation.

Norway has already achieved this milestone, and the Netherlands is expected to follow by 2025 when many cities will ban the registration of new combustion vans.