All the buzz

Volkswagen references its past models, with a view very firmly fixed on the future, says

Dan Gilkes

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has finally revealed the production-ready ID. Buzz Cargo and its ID. Buzz people-carrying twin, ahead of a full launch later this year. Originally seen in concept form as far back as 2001, the shape of the ID. Buzz Cargo closely resembles the iconic VW Bulli T1 microbus of the 1950s.

However, beneath that smooth, single-box body, lies VW’s MEB electric chassis, already seen in the ID.3 and ID.4 cars, but stretched to new lengths in ID. Buzz Cargo. Indeed, with an overall length of 4,712mm and a wheelbase of 2,988mm, the van is 20cm longer than the biggest Caddy and 20cm shorter than the base Transporter T6.1. Thanks in part to reardrive, the turning circle is just 11m, similar to a Golf, making it an ideal urban van.

It boasts a load volume of 3.9m3 , in a van with a roof height of just 1,938mm, making it possible to access underground car parks. A longer wheelbase model will be added to the line-up once the initial van enters production. For the first time, the company has engineered a load-through facility in the bulkhead, allowing longer

objects to pass through under the passenger seat. While the payload allowance for the initial model is a rather disappointing 600kg, the van can tow up to 1-tonne.

The ID. Buzz has a 77kWh battery under its flat floor, powering a rear-mounted 150kW (204hp) electric motor, that drives the rear axle. VW is claiming a potential operating range of up to 250 miles, with a maximum speed of 90mph, which should be enough for many LCV operators. The van has up to 11kW AC charging and a DC rapid charge capability of up to 170kW. This would allow a 5-80% topup in around 30 minutes using a suitable DC rapid charger.

The electrical system under the van is bi-directional, allowing drivers and companies to feed unused energy from the batteries back into a home or office networks, when the van is not being used. This would require a bi-directional wall box however. The ID. Buzz Cargo will also have a 230V outlet in the rear, allowing trades to power electrical tools on site, or drivers to run laptops and other devices.

While the passenger-carrying vehicles will roll on up to 21” alloy wheels, commercial model will use a more sensible 18” steel rim, though alloys will be available as an option. LED headlights and rear lights will be standard on both though, along with a host of ADAS driver assistance systems. Harder-wearing black bumpers should also be on offer on the van models.

It’s a similar story inside the van, where the Cargo model will use more durable dark grey plastics than the offwhite found in the initial batch of passenger models. However, all will come with two full colour screens for all drivFor the first time, the company has engineered a load-through facility in the bulkhead.

ing data and infotainment. Unfortunately, the vans have the same fiddly touch and slide controls for volume and heater functions as the latest Caddy. That said, the ID. Buzz Cargo comes with a “Hey ID” voice control function, that allows the driver to call for various operations without having to take their hands of the wheel.

As part of the ADAS offering, all of the vans will come with a Car2X system, to identify problems ahead. This means that the van will be able to communicate with other Car2X vehicles nearby, to spot potential hazards and hold-ups in real time. It will also use Travel Assist, with swarm data, to offer partially automated driving functions, including assisted lane-changing on motorways. The vans will use this communication system to facilitate over-the-air updates to software and technology.

There are no prices yet and we’ll have to wait a little longer for final specifications. Van User should be driving the van in the summer, the order books will open in the UK in July, for deliveries to start in October. VWCV is already working with a number of body builders to be able to supply racking, fridge van and other specialist conversions by the time of the launch. The ID. Buzz Cargo will be available from all of VW’s Van Centres and the company is expecting a mix of fleet and SME customers for the new model.

“There are a lot of trades swapping out of Caddy or downsizing from Transporter,” said product manager Alice Axtell. “Many of those customers are targeting CO2 reductions.”

Volkswagen and Ford have confirmed that Ford will have access to VW’s MEB electric platform, as part of the collaboration that has already seen the latest Transit Connect using Caddy running gear and interior technology. In turn, Volkswagen’s next Amarok pick-up will be based on the new generation Ranger that will be launched later this year.

Ford had originally planned to produce a single model using MEB, with a total volume of around 600,000 units. That number has now been doubled as Ford looks to grow its electric range. Ford has promised three EV cars and four e-LCVs by 2024, as part of its Ford+ plan. The company will launch E-Transit this year, followed by electric versions of Transit Custom and Tourneo Custom in 2023, then Transit Courier and a Courier-based multi-purpose vehicle in 2024.