Volkswagen ID.Buzz: The Beloved Microbus Finally Makes a Comeback, With a Battery

Volkswagen ID.Buzz will be launched in the US in late 2023.

By Reuters | Updated: 8 January 2022 13:14 IST

Volkswagen ID.Buzz: The Beloved Microbus Finally Makes a Comeback, With a Battery

Photo Credit: Reuters

Volkswagen ID.Buzz will launch with three rows of seats in the US, but with two rows of seats in Europe

Highlights

ID.Buzz is one of "the most anticipated and most hyped" models from VW
Volkswagen said US sales of its VW brand vehicles rose 15 percent in 2021
Volkswagen will ramp up production of its ID.4 electric SUV this year

Volkswagen will show a production version of its long-awaited ID.Buzz, an electric reincarnation of its beloved Microbus or Kombi, on March 9 and plans to launch it in the United States in late 2023, the company said on Friday.

The ID.Buzz is one of "the most anticipated and most hyped" models anticipated from the Volkswagen brand since the company launched its new Beetle in the late 1990s, Scott Keogh, head of Volkswagen's North American operations said during a media call.

Volkswagen Chief Executive Herbert Diess tweeted on Thursday "The legend returns on 03/09/22!" The tweet contained a sketch of the profile of the ID.Buzz van.

Apple Global Battery Development Chief Moves to Volkswagen

The legend returns on 03/09/22! pic.twitter.com/Q4hFyCN5mr
— Herbert Diess (@Herbert_Diess) January 6, 2022

Volkswagen has shown a series of prototypes for a new Microbus over the past decade. But those prior show vans — the Budd.E and the Bulli — never made it to production, to the frustration of fans of the vehicle.

Keogh said that a three-row version of the ID.Buzz will launch in the United States, where the original microbus became an icon of the counterculture, in late 2023 or early 2024. Volkswagen will launch a two-row version in Europe.

Volkswagen CEO Demands ‘Revolution’ From Employees to Tackle Tesla

Volkswagen does not plan to build the ID.Buzz at its US factory in Chattanooga.

"You want to get to 100,000 units before you localize," Keogh said.

Volkswagen will ramp up production of its ID.4 electric SUV at Chattanooga this year.

Volkswagen, Stellantis Say 1.4 Million Cars Lost Due to Chip Shortage

Earlier Friday, Volkswagen said US sales of its VW brand vehicles rose 15 percent in 2021, driven largely by strong sales of gasoline-fueled SUVs such as the Atlas and Tiguan.

Shortages of vehicles caused by chip supply chain problems will continue to limit vehicle production and sales in the United States through 2022, Keogh said.

He said he believes as many as two million potential car buyers did not buy a vehicle in 2021 because of the lack of supply, creating pent up demand for this year and beyond.

Xiaomi India speaks exclusively to Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, on their plans for 2022 and pushing for 120W fast charging with the 11i HyperCharge. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.