VW turns the ID.Buzz electric bus into a seven-seater and introduces new battery sizes

The VW Bulli is not only popular in Europe, but also in the US: as a flower power vehicle of the hippie scene, it became a cult car, especially in California in the 1970s, often painted with colorful patterns and flowers. However, in 2003, with the end of the T4 generation, minibuses in North America came to an end. Now, after a 20-year break, the Bulli is making a comeback there – in retro design and fully electric: From the beginning of 2024, VW will offer the ID.Buzz not only in Europe, but also in North America with an extended wheelbase.

For this purpose, the axles are placed 25 centimeters apart and the electric family bus is stretched by the same number of centimeters to a length of 4.96 metres. With the XL format there is the option of a third row of seats, so that the ID.Buzz can be ordered as a five, six or seven-seater.

In addition, the trunk grows to a whopping 2,469 liters. This increases the chances of success in the US and Canada, as larger cars are usually in demand there.

Above the passengers there is now room for VW’s largest panoramic roof to date, which, according to the press release, should evoke memories of the Samba bus from the 1950s with its panoramic windows. The roof can be darkened at the touch of a button, so that the automatic climate control is not too much to ask.

In addition to the length, the battery and drive also increase: The previous ID.Buzz comes with a 77 kWh battery. In the future, the longer ID-Buzz will be available with either a smaller battery with 63 kWh and slightly less power or a larger battery variant with 91 kWh (net 85 kWh). The latter will soon also be used in the electric Passat ID.7. At the same time, the charging power is increased to 200 kW and the power of the electric motor on the rear axle increases to 210 kW/286 hp in the model with the large battery.

The ID.Buzz accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds and can now reach speeds of up to 160 km/h. Those who want to go faster will have to be patient: Soon a GTX with a second engine on the front axle, 250 kW/339 hp and a sprint time of 6.4 seconds will follow.

The market launch of the VW ID.Buzz XL is scheduled for January 2024, with all-wheel drive and entry-level versions following shortly thereafter. Volkswagen is currently keeping a low profile on prices.

(t-online/oli)