Volkswagen’s much anticipated electric ID.Buzz microbus will launch in Germany in 2022 but won’t arrive in the US until 2023. The German carmaker has had to delay the release date slightly according to Automotive News. The launch in Germany remains 2022 as planned but there have been a few delays as Volkswagen needs extra time to retool its factory for electric vehicle production.
Volkswagen often staggers its launches with the earliest releases taking place in its own country. The neat looking microbus, which is based on VW’s original 1950 Type 2 camper, will be built at Volkswagen’s commercial-vehicle factory located in Hanover, Germany. VW will also make its new commercial electric van, the ID.Buzz Cargo, at the same factory.
Both the ID.Buzz and the Cargo will be built using robots from ABB, who are a Swedish-Swiss multinational global engineering firm. ABB work mainly in the world of electrification and supplying charging solutions, industrial automation, motion and robotics, and discrete automation.
The new ID.Buzz and Cargo will use the same MEB electric platform that VW uses on its popular ID.3 and ID.4 cars. The cars are made in a separate factory in Zwickau, Germany roughly four hours from the Hanover location. The ID.3 was the best selling car in Germany in December 2020, where it sold 7,144 units. Despite only hitting the market just over halfway through the year the ID.3 was the fourth best-seller overall in its home country during 2020.
VW will be launching the Cargo at the same time. Demand for electric light commercial vehicles is currently booming with the current pandemic creating a massive demand for deliveries and as companies around the globe clean up their act ready for new cleaner driving legislation. The Cargo Buzz is also expected to launch in 2022 in Germany and 2023 in the US.
