The iconic Volkswagen Kombi van is on the way back – as an electric people carrier based on the I.D. Buzz concept.
The German brand has announced that the concept, unveiled at the North American Auto Show in Detroit in January, is to be ‘further developed in preparation for its launch as a production vehicle.’
Revealing the plans at the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in California, Volkswagen car and commercial vehicles brand heads, Dr Herbert Diess and Dr Eckhard Scholz, described the I.D. Buzz as an important pillar in VW’s electric vehicle strategy. They added that a production decision had been taken after a host of “please build this car” messages from visitors who saw the concept at Detroit and the Geneva show in March.
2022 launch date
The car is set to be the second member of the new VW electric family on sale, following the four-door I.D. into showrooms in 2022. Europe, North America and China are expected to be prime markets.
Few details of the production I.D. Buzz are currently being revealed, Volkswagen stating only that it will be based on the new all-electric architecture and incorporate many design ideas from the concept car. Variable seating, interactive connectivity and highly automated driving will all be part of the production model’s specification.
The Detroit concept offered seating for eight, and was capable of a range of 270 miles from a battery pack chargeable to 80 per cent in under 30 minutes.
