Volkswagen I.D. Buzz


The Volkswagen I.D. Buzz is an electric minivan based on the electric MEB platform. It is the second concept vehicle to be shown from the I.D. series of MEB-based electric vehicles.

Design

Concept car descriptions in 2017 indicated the electric microbus could be produced in two versions: a high-end all-wheel-drive version with one motor each on the front and rear axles and an battery pack, and a less-expensive rear-wheel-drive version with an battery pack.
According to the chief executive of VW Autonomy, Alex Hitzinger, the I.D. Buzz minivan is the basis of Volkswagen's self-driving automobile, and could be used for MOIA, a transportation network company competing with Uber. MOIA launched in April 2019, serving Hamburg, Germany, after a 2018 trial with a small fleet of battery electric Multivan T6 vehicles. The autonomous features are part of the "I.D. Pilot" mode, which is anticipated to become available in 2025.

Cargo variant

The I.D. Buzz Cargo debuted at the 2018 IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hannover as a support vehicle for the Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak Hillclimb racer. The Cargo has a maximum estimated cargo capacity of and uses the simplified rear-drive powertrain.
The Cargo prototype was shown in October 2019 at Nike stores in Santa Monica, Chicago, and New York with retro livery branded "Blue Ribbon Sports", the predecessor company to athletic apparel manufacturer Nike, Inc.

History

The concept vehicle was first shown as a prototype at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, then shown again at Geneva in March. Members of the automotive press were invited to drive the concept during Monterey Car Week later that year, in August, where it was also announced that a production vehicle based on this prototype will be launched in 2022.
It will be one of nine new Volkswagen brand models based on the MEB platform. A cargo van variant is also planned for production, to launch in Europe alongside the passenger version in 2022.

Rollout

In December 2019, Volkswagen announced it had partnered with the Qatar Investment Authority to deploy a fleet of 35 ID. BUZZ AD autonomous vehicles based on the I.D. Buzz to serve semi-fixed routes in Doha by 2022.