This Iconic Volkswagen Is Getting An Electric Facelift In March
Volkswagen is revealing its 2024 ID.Buzz, an electric reboot of its iconic vans, in March with a sleek facelift that stays true to the original.
Volkswagen has finally announced a reveal date for their upcoming 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz, an electric version of the iconic minibus line. The longtime automotive manufacturer is using its strong and recognizable branding to enter the competitive electric market. The surprise confirmation comes nearly five years after Volkswagen announced it would be producing retail units of its concept electric vehicle (EV). The van’s design takes cues from the original Type 2 Microbus it resembles but provides a sleek facelift to match similar EVs in its class.
The longtime automotive manufacturer is entering a competitive market, with top brands from Ford to Sony vying for market share. However, by invoking nostalgia from the recognizable design of the original Microbus, the company might just brew the perfect mix of familiarity and futuristic. Volkswagen has teased this van for years, and it’s finally coming to fruition, based on the Type 2 Microbus of the 1950s, which was a hit among families and adventurers. The Volkswagen T2, also known as the VW Kombi or Transporter, is loved in Europe, especially to the point that the company revived a combustion-engine model in the early 2010s exclusive to that region.
In a cryptic tweet, the company’s CEO Herbert Diess announced that the van would be revealed on March 9, 2022. In the United States, the car manufacturer will release an electric passenger van with three rows of seating. It’s built upon the same technologies as the current-market ID.4 electric crossover. Early predictions from Car and Driver expect the vehicle to offer about 300 miles of range. While that’s on par with most cars in its class, it may be a disappointment for those reminiscent of camper versions of the Microbus that could be taken on trips and campgrounds for long getaways. As we’ve seen with the Ford F150 Lightning preorders, though, strong automotive brands outsell electric startups.
A New Look For An Old Van
While the van is expected to resemble its iconic predecessor, it’ll feature new tricks to meet the electric, digital age. For example, the three rows of seating are fully customizable and removable to suit a variety of families and needs. No specifics have been announced ahead of the official reveal, but concept art released by Volkswagen shows sliding modules that can move seats and center consoles using metal rails in the vehicle’s frame. Overall, the company’s vision for the electric microbus features the iconic structure of the microbus in a sleek, electric fashion. Compared to other retro electric car concepts, like Hyundai’s Pony hatchback, the ID.Buzz looks visually modern.
In the U.S., a passenger van model will become available sometime in 2023 as part of Volkswagen’s 2024 lineup of vehicles. The microbus will stick near its original pricing and other similar EVs to remain competitive, starting in the $40,000 range. It’s targeting a much different market than the all-new electric Hummer, a six-figure luxury EV. In European markets, a commercial version of the vehicle without windows will become available around the same time. The full specs and pricing will be revealed when the company makes its formal reveal this spring.
Source: Herbert Diess / Twitter, Car and Driver
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