Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has announced the first five ID. Buzz Cargo electric vehicles (EVs) that have been customised for Miele customer service are now in use.
In Gütersloh, Carsten Intra, CEO of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) and Lars Krause, Board Member for Marketing and Sales, personally handed over the vehicles to the Miele management. This makes Miele one of the first customers to receive individualised ID. Buzz Cargo electric vehicles.
Carsten Intra, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles CEO, said: “The entire year has been dedicated to the ID. Buzz. I am pleased that the time has finally come for transferring the vehicle to our customers and having it run on the roads.
“For a long-term partner like Miele, who has been using our Bulli vans as its service vehicles practically from the start, we definitely wanted to present these first five ID. Buzz Cargo vehicles in person.”
Miele will implement its first vehicles into customer service duty in Germany, Spain, Norway, Great Britain and Austria. The electric commercial vehicles sport special red paint that is representative of Miele.
Plus, the cargo space gets a factory-installed conversion with shelving systems. These are designed to meet the requirements of service employees for stowing materials, replacement parts and tools.
A centre console with an integrated folding table serves as the driver’s workstation. Vehicles now being put into service in Europe will provide valuable knowledge for future optimisation and extension of the customer-individualised product and further electrification of the Miele service fleet.
Lars Krause, VWCV Board Member for Marketing and Sales, said: “Our strategy is to offer the right vehicle for everyone. Miele is one of the first customers we are supplying with the ID. Buzz.
“We are doing this very intentionally to show that the ID. Buzz Cargo is a full-fledged commercial vehicle. And it is also a full-fledged service vehicle.”
Axel Kniehl, Executive Director Marketing and Sales at Miele, said: “The ID. Buzz offers a very good overall package that is excellently suited to the specific requirements of our technicians from the customer service team.”
With the all-electric vans from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Miele is taking another step towards converting its entire fleet to renewable energy sources.
Rebecca Steinhage, Executive Director Human Resources and Corporate Affairs at Miele, said: “We set a goal of reducing the CO emissions of our vehicle fleet by at least 30 per cent by 2030.
“The ID. Buzz is a great choice as an all-electric variant for our fleet and we are already looking forward to receiving more ID. Buzz electric vehicles next year.”
At the handover event, the members of the Board of Management and Miele management mentioned further opportunities for the two companies to collaborate in harmonising future mobility solutions with service requirements.
Krause added: “We are cooperating closely in the international rollout of the factory-converted ID. Buzz Miele service vehicle. Together, we are also looking at digital services that could further optimise the Miele logistics chain and at using future autonomously driving VW vans.”
The cooperation over the decades has shown how well the two brands fit together. VWCV is also using this story in marketing the ID. Buzz Cargo. For instance, the Miele ID. Buzz Cargo plays a major role in a spot produced jointly in the framework of the market launch campaign.
In the spirit of the long-standing partnership, the resulting film highlights the important qualities that the new ID. Buzz Cargo shares with Miele: Reliable, innovative and sustainable. The campaign has been running since 16 November, primarily on social media.
