The Volkswagen ID Buzz concept, unveiled at the Detroit motor show, previews a retro-styled but technically advanced four-wheel-drive electric MPV that is tentatively planned to go on sale in 2022.
Although the ID Buzz draws heavily on the Microbus first launched in 1950 for stylistic inspiration, it uses a new electric car architecture that helps to maximise cabin space. The tall, one-box concept has seating for up to eight people.
The ID Buzz is part of a multi-model electric car initiative masterminded by VW boss, Herbert Diess, who is aiming to thrust the company to the front of the electric car ranks in the next decade, following the financially-crippling effects of the Dieselgate scandal.
The ID Buzz is the second of five dedicated electric models being developed by VW and follows the four-seat ID hatchback revealed at last year’s Paris motor show. VW’s next electric concepts are expected to be a crossover-style SUV, saloon and possibly a sports car.
The ID Buzz features two electric motors — one mounted within the short nose section and one within the rear axle assembly. This provides it with four-wheel-drive capability, unlike the exclusively rear-wheel-drive ID hatchback, which features a single electric motor at the rear.
Each electric motor delivers a maximum of 204hp, but the combined system output is pegged to 374hp — sufficient, VW claims, to provide its latest concept with a theoretical 0-100kph time of just 5.0sec. To protect battery charge, the top speed is limited to 161kph.
VW says the ID Buzz could also be configured as a rear-drive model with a 272hp rear-mounted electric motor.
Fitted with an 111kWh lithium-ion battery mounted in the floor, the new model is claimed to have a zero-emissions range of up to 599km on the European test cycle — about 66km more than VW claimed for the similarly conceived Budd-e concept from the CES show 2016.
The ID Buzz also features the latest in autonomous driving technology, allowing the driver to retract the touchpad-equipped steering wheel and make use of a seat that swivels 180deg to face the rear, in what is described as ‘non-critical driving conditions’, in a so-called ID Pilot mode that is being developed for introduction in 2025.
In this mode, the steering wheel is decoupled from the steering gear via a newly developed steering column system. A series of laser scanners, ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors, area view camera and front camera acquire information about the surroundings, while other traffic data is received via an internet-enabled data cloud, providing the ID Buzz with fully autonomous driving capability.
The interior has a multitude of different seating layouts, and there are two separate luggage compartments, one up front and one at the rear.
The ID Buzz is 4,941mm long, 1,976mm wide and 1,963mm tall. That makes it 344mm longer, 36mm wider and 128mm taller than the Budd-e concept.
It rides on a lengthened version of VW’s new MEB platform, originally unveiled underneath the ID hatchback, and has a lengthy, 3,300mm wheelbase and comparatively short overhangs.