HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — Drivers who enjoy the van life and want to do it with style and zero emissions have a new option with an all-electric version of the classic Volkswagen Microbus.
A year after the German automaker debuted its highly anticipated electric minivan in the U.S. for the first time, it showed off a larger, three-row version Friday in Huntington Beach that will be available to North American buyers next year.
“The zero-direct emission ID. Buzz is the spiritual reincarnation of the Microbus, reimagined for our electric future,” Volkswagen of America president and chief executive Pablo Di Si said in a statement. “With its launch, the bus will once again become our brand hero in America.”
Volkswagen stopped making the original Microbus for the U.S. market in the early 1970s. While the automaker has teased various concepts in the year since, it wasn’t until 2017 that Volkswagen reenvisioned it as an electric and not until 2022 that it went into production.
The two-row ID. Buzz with seats for five is already available in Europe and is powered by an 82 kilowatt-hour battery that makes 201 horsepower. The longer wheelbase version that will be available in the U.S. has three rows that seat seven and is powered by a larger 91 kilowatt-hour battery that makes 282 horses.
Similar to the original T1 Microbus from the 1950s, which was designed to provide the most possible space in the smallest footprint, the ID. Buzz is able to have a snub-nosed front largely because it is electric. Like the original gas-powered Microbus, the electric version derives its power from the back with a rear-mounted motor. Its batteries are mounted in the floor to save space and keep the vehicle weight low for better handling.
Like so many other EVs, the interior is high-tech and minimalist. A 10-inch digital cockpit display sits in front of the driver, while a second 10-inch infotainment system sits in the dashboard’s center with touch controls for the temperature, HVAC, driver assistance systems and other features.
Adding to its high-tech vibe are eight USB ports placed throughout the interior — in the dash area, the front doors and further back in the vehicle — as well as a wireless phone charging tray for the driver. Ambient lighting also comes standard with 10 color choices to light up the instrument panel, doors and storage bins.
The ID. Buzz is available in a variety of exterior colors, too. Cabana Blue, Metro Silver and Indium Gray are all new for the three-row version, along with two-tone color palettes in Energetic Orange, Pomelo Yellow and Mahi Green.