Volkswagen is bringing back one of its most beloved classics, in all-electric form. The 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz, set to arrive in the U.S. in mid-2023, is an electric vehicle (EV) take on the classic VW bus. A new report says the bus will come in three styles. They include a passenger version for families, a cargo version, and a layout just for ride-hailing drivers.
The microbus, in case you have somehow missed most of automotive history, was built from 1949 until 2013 and sold on almost every continent. Officially named the VW Type 2, it carried a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine and came in more configurations than we could list. None were ever officially sold with a surfboard attached, but it’s hard to picture the bus without one.
It will return as an electric vehicle, with the motors under the floor to maximize space. Pricing is unknown at this early stage. The ID Buzz will likely share many components with the VW ID.4 EV, which starts at $39,995, plus a $1,195 destination fee.
According to a new report in Automotive News Europe, VW plans three versions.
One will be a long-wheelbase, minivan-style layout with three rows of traditional seating. Europe will get a short-wheelbase version, but that one reportedly won’t come to the states. Delivery companies and commercial buyers will get a cargo version.
The most unique version, however, aims at ride-hailing services. It will feature three rows of seating, but the two behind the driver will face each other.
Mechanical details remain a mystery. Automakers can easily vary the range, power, and drive wheels of an EV by placing motors on one or both axles. Given the variety of interiors planned, we expect a variety of drivetrains.
