Drive around Cornwall or Devon in the summer months and you’d be forgiven for thinking that Volkswagen campers, buses and vans are the best-selling vehicles in the world. They have a cult following, with enthusiastic owners customising them with everything from a window sticker to a Porsche engine swap.

But the electric revolution is coming too. If you dream of a VW electric bus, your wish is just about to come true. More than seven decades on from its launch, Volkswagen’s beaky nosed, split windscreen Type 2 ’Microbus’ van/camper has inspired what is probably VW’s most charismatic electric vehicle to date, the ID. Buzz.

This is a light van and five seat people carrier whose styling is a modern homage to the clattering, rear-engined, hippy-friendly original, which first saw the light of day in 1949.

Our Ginny, a long-term fan of old school VW vans, is rather enthused by the ID. Buzz, as you can see in her video here.

But what exactly is she getting excited about? Well, we’ve had plenty of time to get used to ID. Buzz as it spent half a decade appearing at international motor shows in prototype form, wowing crowds with features that included a revolving dashboard gnome that sadly isn’t fitted to the production versions, which also have toned down front end styling, making them less retro, but presumably more crash test friendly.

New look, familiar underpinnings

VW has a standard electric vehicle platform called the MEB, and versions of it animate the ID.3, 4, 5, Skoda Enyaq and the Cupra Born. It will power many more electric models, including the ID. Buzz, but being a box on wheels it has small front and rear overhangs, in part because its stylists wanted a silhouette that paid tribute to the T2. 

The end result is very 21^st century, but the sloping nose, huge front and rear VW badges and a trio of fake air intakes at the top of the van’s C pillars are all nods to old Microbus. By the way, those air intakes used to suck in leaves that sometimes caused engine fires with the original ICE vans. Not a problem for Buzz drivers.    

Air cooled VW van drivers sat over the front axle, so experienced a nodding dog ride. The ID. Buzz locates its front occupants further back where things are more serene, but they will still enjoy commanding seating positions at the front of the vehicle. With an 11 metre turning circle -about the same as a VW Polo- manoeuvring it ought to be painless. 

Right now, it’s only being sold in short wheelbase form, which equates to a five seat bus or a van called the ID. Cargo, capable of taking a couple of Euro pallets, but a long wheelbase is imminent, and that in people carrier guise will have room for eight, with a variety of seating options. Interestingly the longer van won’t have its derriere extended, but will benefit from a floor pan stretched by around 25cm between the wheels. 

ID. Buzz is based on the same foundations as the ID.4, ŠKODA Enyaq and Cupra Born

Tale of the tape

We all know that modern cars are bigger, fatter and heavier than their predecessors – largely thanks to us buyers being bigger, fatter and heavier than our predecessors. In the case of the ID. Buzz, the changes are significant, but the differences aren’t quite as huge as you might expect. At 4.3 metres long the original T2 is just over 410mm shorter than the ID. Buzz yet almost exactly the same height. However, there’s no denying that the ID. Buzz has piled on the pounds over the years with the ID. Buzz tipping the scales at a beefy 2,468kg. The lightweight T2 by comparison weighed just 1,047kg - half as much. 

The original Type 2 weighs half as much as the new ID. Buzz, but the new version wins for comfort and safety

More power… but less range

The ID. Buzz will launch with a 77kWh battery pack, but buyers will eventually be able to choose from a variety of battery power outputs from 48 to a stonking 111kWh with a likely range of up to 342 miles. Hooked up to a 120kW DC charger, the 77kW version will replenish its battery pack between 10 and 80 per cent in around half an hour. 

While comparisons with the past aren’t always useful, it’s worth noting that the original T2 was powered by a 1.1-litre petrol engine that delivered 24bhp. Early models came with an 8.8 gallon fuel tank which, at 30mpg would deliver a driving range of 264 miles. The 2022 version’s 256 mile WLTP figure suggests that no matter how much faster, safer and more comfortable the new version is, the original version will still go further between stops. 

Did we mention that the ID. Buzz will be bi-directional? This doesn’t make it the world’s first gender neutral light commercial, but does mean that it can store and repatriate energy back to the grid or domestically, so you can make use of juice bought off grid for use during high tariff periods (when VW enables it next year). Other features include van telepathy, where these vehicles will communicate with each other to let their drivers know about things like traffic holdups.

ID. Buzz interior features a host of tech that would have been unimaginable when the original 1949 Type was launched

The Buzz’s interior features a plethora of clever storage spaces, and 1,121 litres of luggage space with the back seats raised. Van operators will appreciate the commercial version’s uncluttered load area with minimal rear wheel arch intrusion and a neat underfloor storage cubby for its charging cables. For some reason ID. Buzz people carrier drivers have to use a large bag instead. Still, the floor is flat, the rear seat slides, reclines and folds forward, although not entirely into the floor, and it can’t be removed altogether.

But let’s end on a positive, shall we? No cows and sheep have been harmed in the making of this Buzz, as animal hides or products aren’t used to trim its interior. The materials used for some seat covers, floor coverings and roof lining include materials made from recycled products. There will be a fabric created from something called SEAQUAL® yarn, the fibres of which consist of 10 per cent of collected ocean plastics and about 90 per cent recycled PET bottles. Even the ‘ECO’ ArtVelours being used as a Group-wide first in the ID. Buzz consist of 71 per cent recycled matter.

How much will all this cost? From £57,115 to a fiver short of £63k.

Also see:

VW announces Buzz prices and opens virtual queue

Volkswagen names its price for the ID. Buzz Cargo

Volkswagen pull wraps off ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo

ID. Buzz cabin has no animal products such as leather and features recycled materials throughout