Volkswagen on March 9, unveiled a production version of its long-awaited ID. Buzz van. It is an electric reincarnation of its Microbus or Kombi, due to go on sale in several European countries in the third quarter of 2022.
The van will also launch in the United States in late 2023, the German automaker said in a statement, adding it is the first in a series of prototypes released in the past decade to successfully make it to production stage.
The latest version of ID. software brings state-of-the-art assist systems such as ‘Travel Assist with swarm data’ and automated parking to the range. “Bidirectional charging enables the integration of the ID. Buzz into the home energy system. The car can feed unneeded energy from the battery into the customer's home network,” read the tweet of Volkswagen.
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Made in Hanover with modules supplied mostly by Volkswagen Group Components in Germany, the vehicle runs on an 82 kWh lithium-ion battery and can reach a maximum speed of 90 miles an hour, Volkswagen said.
The ‘Plug & Charge’ technology enables the ID. Buzz to be charged while out and about with up to 170 kW. The vehicle provides space for five persons and 1,121 liters of luggage. Other versions with batteries offering different power outputs will follow next year, the company said.
The Europe pre-sale for ID. Buzz starts in autumn 2022. Advance orders can already be placed in some countries in May.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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