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The yellow-and-silver 2017 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Concept parked by a sandy beach
Hybrids & EVs

Mark Your Calendars, the Volkswagen ID.Buzz Electric Van Is Coming

The ID.Buzz van was starting to become the Duke Nukem Forever of the EV world. Although Volkswagen had promised a production version of the retro-inspired electric van, it seemed more and more like an empty promise. However, we have good news: the VW ID.Buzz really is coming to the US. You’ll be able to buy …
by Matthew Skwarczek
Published on
2 min read

The ID.Buzz van was starting to become the Duke Nukem Forever of the EV world. Although Volkswagen had promised a production version of the retro-inspired electric van, it seemed more and more like an empty promise. However, we have good news: the VW ID.Buzz really is coming to the US.

You’ll be able to buy the Volkswagen ID.Buzz in 2023

The yellow-and-silver 2017 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Concept parked by a sandy beach
2017 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Concept | Volkswagen

Volkswagen first showed the ID.Buzz as a concept back in 2017. And while VW initially didn’t plan on making a production version, public reception quickly changed that, The Drive reports. Now, four years later, the German automaker finally has an official release date; kind of.

Initially, Volkswagen wanted the ID.Buzz to launch worldwide in 2022. And while that’s still the European-marked release date, the US won’t the electric van until 2023, Car and Driver reports. There’s no specific 2023 date set, but it’s late enough in the year that the ID.Buzz will be a 2024-model-year EV, Autoblog reports.

Admittedly, the delayed US release isn’t unusual for Volkswagen, or indeed many European automakers. The upcoming Golf R and Mk8 Golf GTI aren’t coming here until the 2022 MY, after all. And while the ID.Buzz will be made in the same factory as the ID.4, the plant needs to be retooled first, Car and Driver reports. Hence the delay.

The US won’t get every version of the Volkswagen electric van, though

A dark-blue 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 at the Bonneville Salt Flats at sunset
2021 Volkswagen ID.4 | Volkswagen

Speaking of the ID.4, the 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz rides on the same platform. So does the Audi e-tron and the non-US-market VW ID.3, Car and Driver reports. As a result, the base-trim ID.Buzz’s specs will likely mirror the ID.4.

As of this writing, Volkswagen hasn’t released official powertrain information for the 2024 ID.Buzz. However, back in 2017, VW claimed the base model would have a 201-hp rear-mounted electric motor, MotorTrend reports. Furthermore, the electric van would offer two dual-motor AWD trims, with either 302 or 368 hp.

Unfortunately, the 368-hp trim appears to have been canceled. However, a Volkswagen rep confirmed that the electric van would be available in RWD and AWD form, Hagerty reports. The same rep also confirmed that the RWD model will have “200-odd hp” and the AWD “as much as 300 hp,” Hagerty reports. But there will be three different battery packs available, Car and Driver reports.

However, although we’re getting multiple ID.Buzz trims, we won’t get multiple models. The US-market ID.Buzz will only be available in long-wheelbase passenger-carrying form. Elsewhere, Volkswagen will offer a short-wheelbase version of its electric van, as well as a cargo-carrying model. The latter will also reportedly feature a Level 4 partial-autonomy system, which again, won’t be available in the US.

What we still don’t know

Besides the specific powertrain and battery specs, we also don’t know how much the 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz will cost. For comparison, the ID.4 starts at $39,995 before tax credits.

The rear 3/4 view of a yellow-and-silver 2017 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Concept parked on a sandy beach
2017 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Concept rear 3/4 | Volkswagen

Also, the production-spec version might not be called ‘ID.Buzz.’ That’s actually VW’s code-name for the electric van, Autoblog reports. Perhaps the German-market ‘Bulli’ name will finally cross the Atlantic?

Regardless, the Volkswagen electric van is really, truly happening. We just have to wait two more years.

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MotorBiscuit Staff Writer, Producer - Sedans & Coupes

Matthew Skwarczek

Matthew Skwarczek started blogging in 2015 and focuses his writing on motorcycles and engineering science. A graduate of Northwestern University, where he earned his Master’s in Chemical Engineering, Matthew served as an applications engineer for BASF before joining MotorBiscuit in 2019.

In Matthew’s words, the visceral nature of riding requires you to be in the moment. Combined with his fascination in the analytics surrounding the building and designing of cars and bikes, both modern and classic, you’ll find his voice blends functionality and phenomena. He rides motorcycles and bicycles often, photographing them as well.

Matthew has contributed to Oppositelock and is now an alumnus. He plays Dungeons & Dragons and reads sci-fi and fantasy in his spare time, and appreciates the works of Peter Egan, Sam Smith, Brandon Sanderson, and Alex Goy.