The wraps have finally been peeled off one of the most exciting, interesting and practical electric vehicles ever created – the Volkswagen ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo.The all-electric van and MPV will arrive in the UK this autumn, and use the same basic mechanical parts as the familiar ID.3 and ID.4 models.

Two tone colour schemes hark back to the classic campers

But it is the looks which will get owners most excited. As with the classic VW campers, there are two-tone paint options and funky detailing which is certain to make people carriers desirable again.The overall length is 4,712mm – 128mm longer than an ID.4, but fractionally shorter than a Tesla Model Y. This, combined with the upright stance, results in some predictably impressive figures for luggage space.

The interiors borrow parts and funky colour schemes from the ID.3

In the MPV version with five seats there will be up to 1,121 litres of capacity with all the seats in place, which is nearly three times the space offered in a car such as a Nissan Leaf. 

If the second row of seats is folded down, the load capacity increases to up to a whopping 2,205 litres. By 2024, six and seven-seat configurations and an extended wheelbase version will also follow.

Boot space is predictably huge, even with the seats in place

For buyers who want to carry cargo rather than passengers, there will be the option of a three seat bench at the front up front and a fixed bulkhead partition separating off the 3.9 m³  cargo space. It will have a maximum load 650 kg, which doesn’t look particularly impressive next to rivals – a cheaper Citroen e-Berlingo has a 3.8 m³   of space and a 751kg capacity. 

The VW fights back with some impressive technology though. The most interesting is bi-directional charging, which will allow the Buzz to be a ‘power bank’ and feed stored energy into the domestic mains (vehicle-to-home) in times of high demand or during a power cut. It will also be possible to charge other VW electric cars in an emergency.

The van version looks cute, but isn't the most practical

Public charging will also be simpler, as the Buzz will use a Tesla-like ‘Plug & Charge’ function where the car will talk to the charger to authenticate itself, exchanging all necessary data as soon as the charging cable is plugged in without the owner having to worry about using a credit card or log in. 

The first models coming to the UK will be the five-seat ID. Buzz in the range-topping ‘Pro’ equipment version. Later in the year, the cheaper ‘Pure’ base version with an entry-level 58kWh battery will appear, followed later with bigger power packs and four-wheel-drive versions.

Five seaters will be the first to go on sale

No prices have been mentioned yet, but expect a basic van to cost around £50,000 and the passenger versions to be about £10,000 more.

Interior colour schemes can match the exterior shades. Or clash horribly, like this yellow