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- Production of the European version of the VW ID. Buzz electric minivan starts in Hannover, Germany.
- Volkswagen plans to produce about 15,000 units this year, all destined for the European market, ahead of the model's arrival stateside in 2024.
- US buyers will receive the long-wheelbase, three-row version of the ID. Buzz powered by an 82-kWh battery starting in 2024.
Five and a half years after it was first revealed as a concept, the first series production Volkswagen ID. Buzz rolled off the assembly line in Hannover, Germany, earlier this month. The retro-styled battery-electric van actually followed the ID. Buzz Cargo into production, with the commercial model getting a head start and both opening a new chapter for the automaker in its road to electrification.
The electric MPV was among the first new crop of electric vehicles to be green-lit by Volkswagen in the months following the outbreak of its diesel crisis, with VW looking to its past for inspiration. Wolfsburg had toyed with the idea of producing a retro-styled MPV for quite some time, with the best-remembered concept being the 2001 Microbus concept, even as Transporter production in Europe never quite ended. VW stopped importing the model stateside about 20 years ago.
"The start of serial production of the all-electric ID. Buzz is an important milestone in the electrification of our fleet and for the manufacturing operation at the Hannover site," said Carsten Intra, chairman of the Brand Management Board of VWCV. "The vehicle is a key pillar in the full utilization of our factory and is thus safeguarding the future of the site."
The Hannover plant is now the third VW site in Europe to produce ID models, after Zwickau and Emden. But production in 2022 will be limited as VW plans to produce just up to 15,000 units at Hannover, with plans to accelerate production in 2023. The automaker expects annual output to potentially reach 130,000 units once production hits its stride.
The US-market model, meanwhile, won't be revealed until next year. VW will bring just the long-wheelbase, three-row version of the model to the states the following year, in 2024, with an 82-kWh (gross) battery underneath.
Several variants of the ID. Buzz will be produced at Hannover, with a number of interior layout options and a choice of two wheelbases, in addition to the commercial ID. Buzz Cargo panel van destined solely for Europe at the moment. In 2024 we'll also see series production of the Level 4 autonomous ride-pooling model, set to begin operations in Germany the same year. Prototypes of the MOIA model have already been spotted testing in Europe.
The start of ID. Buzz production is a major milestone for the automaker as it seeks to expand its EV lineup in the states. The electric MPV is set to become the second of its new batch of electric models after the ID.4 crossover to be offered stateside.
Jay Ramey grew up around very strange European cars, and instead of seeking out something reliable and comfortable for his own personal use he has been drawn to the more adventurous side of the dependability spectrum. Despite being followed around by French cars for the past decade, he has somehow been able to avoid Citroën ownership, judging them too commonplace, and is currently looking at cars from the former Czechoslovakia. Jay has been with Autoweek since 2013.
