In the summer of 2019, the esteemed colleague Schmidt wrote at this point that the long-running VW bus was getting competition from its own company, and that would be next year, when the ID family, i.e. the new, purely electric models from Volkswagen, will add the ID Buzz will be expanded.

If we calculated correctly, two more years have passed since then, which means that the ID Buzz should have set a record even before its first delivery.

Holger Apple

Editor in business, responsible for "Technology and Motor".

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Probably no Volkswagen has been postponed more often and longer, but we don't know that exactly anymore, because the first announcement was a lot more ages ago.

Hope and longing were awakened, as everyone associates a VW bus with a story, mostly a good one.

What will actually hit the streets from September must first prove that it touches the emotions.

The ID Buzz has become more sober than imagined, you sit high in the floor because of the battery and yet it is a bit unusual and you can see a spacious cockpit landscape.

The straps instead of profane handles are nice and a nice reminiscence.

VW shows the fresh buzz slightly camouflaged, we've already done a few semi-official laps with it.

The world premiere is planned for March 9th, when it will present itself in all its glory.

The contours are, of course, so gently concealed that the shape with its short overhangs and striking face is easily recognizable.

It clearly quotes a VW bus, but has the beloved historical core sufficiently arrived in modern times?

As can be read in the piece mentioned at the beginning, a Dutchman invented it.

After a visit to the still young plant in Wolfsburg, the Dutch VW importer Ben Pon came up with the idea of ​​making a Beetle-based commercial vehicle out of the simple transport carts on Beetle chassis.

Finally, the reconstruction had to be managed.

After the presentation in 1949, the type 2 bus came onto the market as early as 1950.

It was initially called type 2 because type 1 was the beetle.

As in the Beetle, the engine and drive were at the rear.

In contrast to the Beetle, which eventually stopped running, the bus is still on the German market.

There are now seven generations, and the engine and drive have been at the forefront since the fourth, but everyone knows and recognizes a VW bus, even if it's called a Multivan.

VW is still silent about range

A good 10 million units have been built since 1950.

It is now available as version 6.1, which is more closely oriented towards commercial vehicles and impresses with its practical talents and robust character.

And it is now available as the T 7, which works flatter and softer, drives more like a passenger car and may open up new groups of buyers.

Now this world of vacation, leisure and transport is to be conquered with electric drive.

The ID Buzz, which will also be available as a pack donkey under the name Buzz Cargo, has fully electric rear-wheel drive.

Its engine offers 204 hp and 310 Newton meters of torque, which ensures good acceleration values.

However, the top speed is 145 km/h, otherwise the battery would be drained too much.

It holds around 50 or 77 kWh.

Volkswagen is still silent about the range, in reality it will be between 250 and 350 kilometers.

The charging speed is also still a secret, it is based on comparable models, there is talk of up to 170 kW.

VW holds out the prospect of finally installing the Tesla option of charging without an annoying card or app, under the name Plug & Charge, the fast charging station and the car should recognize each other.

Bidirectional charging is also possible, so the car can release a little of the energy it has stored up elsewhere.

How sophisticated all of this works will become apparent in a few months when the Buzz gets into the hands of customers and thus into the harsh everyday life.

It is already known that the civilian Buzz will be a five-seater, the Cargo will have three seats in the front.

A wheelbase of three meters is accommodated over a length of 4.71 meters, which creates ample space for air and love.

Of course, a width of two meters is an announcement with potential for concern for everyone who wants to turn off the buzz in the parking garage instead of on the campsite.

1120 liters fit in the trunk if all folding and laying options are used, the trailer hitch pulls 1000 kilograms.

As usual in electric cars, the turning circle is small, the buzz dances around itself. The low center of gravity sends special signals in the limit area, which is also typical of a Generation E car. It has to dig deep into your pocket to buy it.

We suspect 55,000 to 60,000 euros.

The exact details are, one suspects, still secret.