As the iconic Volkswagen Microbus enters the US, VW intends to double production ID.Buzz three-row battery van.
In the near future, this car will appear in dealerships in the United States, where it was presented to the general public in June of last year. The minivan will appear before fans of the brand with a longer wheelbase than the European two-row model.
In the short time since its official debut in March 2022 (see video below), the Volkswagen minivan has become a hit thanks to its versatility and size. About this writes Electrek.co.
Now the three-line ID.Buzz will enter the US and European markets. It will get a larger battery (91 kWh) for extra power to handle the extra load. In the American market, it will be available in three configurations: Pro S, Pro S Plus and entry level.
Lars Krause, executive vice president of sales and marketing at VW Commercial Vehicles, has high hopes for the new three-row electric van. In an interview with the German automotive publishing house Automobilwoche Krause saidthat with the new ID.Buzz variants, such as the three-row model, VW expects production to ramp up quickly.
After releasing just 35,000 models last year, VW expects production of the ID.Buzz to exceed 100,000 in the medium term. This is more than twice as much as last year.
“In the second half of the year, we want to create twice as much ID.Buzz. There are high hopes for new variants, including three-row and GTX models. Volkswagen is also phasing out the T6. 1, which will open production facilities. We will manufacture only two models in Hanover: Multivan and ID”– explained Krause.
According to Krause, over time, ID.Buzz “will have to make a big contribution to loading the plant's capacities, because in the medium term, the production of ID. The buzz we're creating in Hannover for the entire global market should be in the six-figure range.”
Krause believes that 100,000 is realistic as ID.Buzz reaches new markets such as the US. VW is also planning an even cheaper entry-level ID.Buzz to meet demand.
The hope of the request comes true – the vehicle corresponds to a niche that is not currently served by electric vehicles. Over time, sales of the ID.Buzz will plummet if Honda or Toyota release an electric minivan, as the Buzz lacks cargo space behind the third row, which is critical for family trips.
The entry-level ID.Buzz will include a smaller 62 kWh battery. However, VW has yet to set a price for the new model. The first ID.Buzz models will start shipping in the next few months in the US. The long-wheelbase ID.Buzz will also be available in Europe.
The VW electric van is expected to cost more than $50,000 in the US. In Germany, the ID.Buzz price tag will start at €64,600 ($69,000), including VAT.