Volkswagen to encash on nostalgia by launching its all electric version of "MICROBUS"

 Volkswagen has announced that it will produce an electric version of its Microbus, the iconic, bug-eyed "hippy bus" most often associated with free-wheeling road trips to Woodstock.

 

The new model is a production version of Volkswagen's concept vehicle I.D. Buzz, which was revealed earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show. It is expected to be available in 2022 in the U.S., Europe and China, according to a company press release Saturday.

 

VW created quite a buzz in January when it showed off what it called the "I.D. Buzz Concept" at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

 

That vehicle, which was clearly inspired by the classic and fondly remembered VW Microbus, had some features that were just as clearly only for show. (For instance, it had a steering wheel that retracted into the dash when it was in self-driving mode.). Don't be surprised if the I.D. Buzz show car's futuristic dash is replaced by a more familiar VW interior when the production version arrives in 2022. Image source: Volkswagen AG.

Volkswagen's original Type 1 Microbus debuted in 1950 and had just 30 horsepower. VW buzz comes with a dual-motor, all-wheel drive battery-electric vehicles with 369 horsepower, a 111 kilowatt-hour battery pack, and a predicted range of about 270 miles. It is fast-charge capable, with the ability to use chargers of up to 150 kilowatts using the CCS DC Fast standard. With a 150-kW charger, it can recharge to about 80% of its battery pack's capacity in about 30 minutes, VW said.

“Along with a minibus version, we’ll also be offering an I.D. Buzz Cargo variant for zero-emissions delivery of goods,” said Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles CEO Dr. Eckhard Scholz. “With Level 3 autonomous capability, this is an ideal concept for an electric van, particularly for delivering packages and goods to the inner cities.”

Inner cities means lower-range, which isn’t a bad thing when you don’t have far to go but it does put the kibosh on any fantasies of a cross-country road trip — unless it included frequent stops at EV charging stations. Here’s hoping that VW can maximize the miles per charge and make the final incarnation of its retro-inspired van as practical as possible. Because, when you stop and think about it, that’s what made the old one such a winner. Still, its quirky charm and throwback appeal are mighty. Maybe that factor alone will be sufficient to lure in a swath of eclectic and nostalgic customers from Europe or North America, who are just hungry from something unique.

 

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