News: 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

News: 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Reimagining a Classic

Surfers and hippies are frequently associated with a mid-century Volkswagen microbus, seen with surfboards on top or flowers painted on the sides, chugging along in the slow lane. Collectors love the 1960s era bus as they are a romantic remembrance for those who grew up with them.

Volkswagen walked away from the bus and van market right about the time minivans became the rage, though it did soldier on with the low-volume Type 2 Vanagon until 2002. Things began to change when in 2017 Volkswagen first showed the Concept ID.Buzz electric bus, which led to today’s public debut of the production 2024 ID.Buzz for North America. Welcome to the first International Volkswagen Bus Day in Surf City—Huntington Beach, California.

The retro look will have people wondering what took so long. The boxy design has the wheels placed far at each corner, power sliding side doors, a laid back windshield and an upright hands-free power tail gate. The two-tone paint options of white over either Energetic Orange, Pomelo Yellow, Mahi Green, Cabana Blue, Metro Silver and Indium Grey, will set the ID.Buzz apart from anything else on the road.

The 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz is built in Hannover, Germany, on the same platform as the ID4, which is currently available at Volkswagen dealers, and the ID7, which is scheduled to be in dealers in late 2024 as a 2025 model, around the same timeframe as when the ID.Buzz will arrive. The ID.Buzz was first released in Europe in two-row passenger and a cargo configurations, but the United States will be getting the three-row ID.Buzz that comes either with rear-wheel (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). VW announced that the total first year production run of all types for the whole world will be 100,000 units. It will be sold in all 641 VW dealers in 50 states of the U.S., but we think the California coast could absorb all of the initial production by itself!

2024 ID.Buzz RWD

• Single, rear-mounted motor
• 282 horsepower
• 82 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery
• Single speed transmission
• 11 kW on-board charger
• Top Speed (electronically limited): 99 miles per hour
• Driving Range: 262 miles (est.)
• Tow Rating: 2,200 pounds

2024 ID.Buzz AWD

• Dual motors
• 330 horsepower
• 91 kWh battery
• Single speed transmission
• 11 kW on-board charger
• Top Speed (electronically limited): 99 miles per hour
• Driving Range: 225 miles (est.)
• Tow Rating: 3,968 pounds

Charging

The ID.Buzz is charged through a plug-in port via its 11 kW on-board charger. Volkswagen has not released official charging times, but based on our reviews of the single and dual-motor ID4, the ID.Buzz should charge somewhere near these speeds.

• 120V (Level 1) – 2 miles of charge per hour, or about 80 hours to full

• 240V (Level 2) – 7.5 hours for a complete charge 
• 480V DC Fast Charging – 5% – 80% in 30 minutes or less, depending on charger capability

Additional charging will be through regenerative braking that converts kinetic energy into electricity when braking or coasting. So driving around town, stuck in stop-and-go rush hour freeway traffic, or coasting down hills will recharge the battery.

Retro. Iconic. Reincarnated. Nostalgic.

The ID.Buzz has a classic German design, which was important for it to be instantly recognized as a VW bus. The boxy shape has short front and rear overhangs and, at 16 feet long, 6.5 feet wide and 62 inches tall, it should be easy to maneuver in traffic and running in-town errands.

The smooth, down-sloping front end features an oversized, illuminated, round VW logo with a lighted strip coming out of both sides connecting the LED headlights. The lower fascia has diamond-shaped horizontal air openings that are reminiscent of a large cheese grater.

The slab sides with the power sliding doors that include a sliding window, lead to the rear D-pillar where three faux vents harken back to the scoops on the earlier air-cooled buses. Slick, aerodynamic 20-inch wheels look sharp and help contribute to the low 0.29 coefficient of drag.

The airy and modern interior is offered in three color combinations. Large windows and the panoramic glass roof, measuring 67.4 inches long and 40.8 inches wide, have electrochromic tinting that, with the swipe of a finger, goes from clear to opaque. Even with the tinted second and third row windows, expect this large cabin to be bright.

The driver and front passenger seats, with armrests, get 12-way power, ventilation, massage, heat and memory, while the outboard second row seats are heated. All seats are covered in perforated leatherette.

Space is generous for up-to seven passengers and their gear. The second row bench, which folds 60/40, reclines 16 degrees and slides 7.9 inches, can move four inches with the flip of a handle to allow for easier third row access. Captain’s chairs are a second row option, though they don’t swivel. The second and third row seats fold flat, and the third row can be removed.

Upfront the 2024 ID.Buzz has two screens: a 12.9 inch infotainment and a 5.3 inch vehicle information. The 30-color ambient lighting, standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, a 110V outlet, 12V charger and eight USB-C ports throughout the cabin will keep everyone entertained, connected and powered-up.

Safety

The ID.Buzz comes with IQ.Drive, which includes advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking with front pedestrian detection, active side assist blind spot monitor, rear traffic alert, lane assist, adaptive cruise control w/ Stop & Go, Travel Assist and Emergency Assist. IQ.Drive also has a hands-on the wheel Level 2 driving assist that is not a fully automated driving system.

Pricing

Volkswagen will announce pricing closer to when the ID.Buzz goes on sale in 2024. It will be available at all VW dealers, although the Buzz will be allocated based on ID4 sales, so expect many to come to California.    

Observations: 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

The cool factor vibes and aura the ID.Buzz emits will be second to none on the road. Expect to be stared at when driving yours, and allow plenty of extra time to show the curious what a cool bus you have.

The three rows will offer space to spread out and haul cargo, but the shorter wheelbase, two-row version sold in Europe would be a nice option (though VW said there are no plans for this) for American drivers that don’t need the extra space.

As it sits, the Volkswagen ID.Buzz doesn’t have any direct competition, but VW shouldn’t rest on those laurels as there are hybrid and plug-in hybrid vans already on the market. As we’ve seen, nothing stands still in the EV world, but the ID.Buzz should enjoy a first-mover advantage that takes into account its updated nostalgic heritage.

The ID.Buzz will find its happy place on the freeway, heading to the mountains for a ski weekend, cruising the coast in search of waves or ambling around for in-town errands. Don’t expect it to be fast, but it should be very capable of merging with freeway traffic and hauling people and their gear.

All that, and it just happened to show up on International Volkswagen Bus Day

Make sure to opt-in to the Clean Fleet Report newsletter (top right of page) to be notified of all new stories and vehicle reviews, including a more in-depth review after we have driven the ID.Buzz.

Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Volkswagen.

The Pre-Buzz Buzz:

News: Volkswagen ID.Buzz Cargo

News: Volkswagen Microbus to Return

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Disclosure:

Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.

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