- Volkswagen’s ID.Buzz electric Microbus has been delayed from the expected 2022 launch and will arrive in the United States in 2023, according to Volkswagen of America CEO Scott Keogh.
- The delay is likely due to the need to retool VW’s Hanover, Germany, factory for both the Buzz and a separate electric commercial van.
- The MEB-platform-based ID.Buzz was unveiled in 2017 and instantly became one of the more highly anticipated EVs.
These may be challenging times, but at least we could look forward to the glorious Volkswagen ID.Buzz electric Microbus landing in U.S. showrooms in 2022. Well, former hippies, #VanLife fans, early adopters, and eco-conscious vehicle lovers, we have some bad news. According to Volkswagen of America CEO Scott Keogh, the U.S. launch of the ID.Buzz will be delayed until sometime in 2023.
Keogh dropped the heartbreaking bombshell during an interview with Automotive News. “I wish it was coming next year,” Keogh said. “It’s not going to come quite as soon as that; it’s going to be a little bit later than that.”
The issue is that the ID.Buzz will be built at VW’s Hanover, Germany, plant instead of the Zwickau, Germany, electric vehicle plant where the ID.3 compact hatchback and ID.4 crossover are currently being produced. The Hanover location builds commercial vehicles and needs to be retooled for both the ID.Buzz and an upcoming commercial electric van, both of which will go on sale in Germany in 2022.
All of these vehicles are based on VW’s MEB (modular electric vehicle) platform that’s the underpinning of the automaker’s push for electrification. Part of that strategy is the launch of the ID.4 crossover as a 2021 model in the U.S. market. That’s a smart move considering the growth of the small-SUV segment and the automaker’s desire to have an EV with mass appeal as it attempts to persuade U.S. customers into battery-powered vehicles.
Still, the excitement around the ID.Buzz has been palpable ever since its unveiling in 2017. Nostalgia and a new appetite for vans has likely helped keep the Microbus on the minds of many potential buyers. And that anticipation hasn’t been lost on Keogh. The CEO mentioned that he receives texts from dealers (both VW and non-VW) about the ID.Buzz, saying, “The reaction’s been huge, and we just got to get it here.”
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Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
