German automaker Volkswagen is on a mission to electrify its offerings. The car company has the ID.4 electric SUV in the US and the compact ID.3 in Europe. Now, VW has offered a glimpse at its next addition to the electric lineup: the ID Buzz bus.
The psychedelic-looking bus was teased during the unveiling of VW’s ID.5 coupe crossover yesterday.
Originally showcased in 2017, the ID Buzz promised 435 km of range, all-wheel drive, a 111 kWh battery pack and a 0-60 time of 5 seconds.
The van that premiered had a nifty seating array that let its users rearrange the seats, twist them round and basically point them in whatever direction they wanted.
In the years since, VW has stuck pretty closely to the original design. It also confirmed that the van will come to the US in 2023, in a long-wheelbase form factor.
In a video from the ID.5 launch, the ID Buzz is decked out in rainbow camouflage to hide certain styling details. The teased model has a wider grille than the initial renderings, in the familiar hexagonal pattern that adorns VW’s other electric vehicles. As with all modern-day electric concepts, the ID Buzz also has a futuristic lighting array up front, complete with aerodynamic-looking rims.
But this is just a glimpse, as VW says further details about the van’s launch will arrive next year.
What we can remain optimistic about is the upcoming van’s styling as realistic door handles, headlights and mirrors suggest this could be our closest look yet at the hippy van of the future.
VW has also been spied testing autonomous driving tech in the new van and decked out in an array of sensors earlier this year.
I just hope VW offers that rainbow-coloured camouflage pattern as a spec option. I would certainly lap that up.