Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz Electric Minivan Is Sold Out In Europe

[cawimmer430]

Volkswagen's ID. Buzz Electric Minivan Is Sold Out In Europe

Volkswagen's ID. Buzz has sold out in Europe months before customer deliveries of the electric minivan have even started.

Advanced sales have now passed 10,000 units with 3,400 being snapped up by Norway, which is so much further along the road to electrification than other countries that it is banning combustion engines from 2025. German buyers were the second hungriest for the Buzz, putting down deposits for 2,500 vans, while Belgium and the Netherlands secured 2,100 units between them, Automotive News Europe reports.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ESNLt88esw

Although ID. Buzz production started at Volkswagen's Hanover plant in May, the first customer cars are not expected to be delivered until October in mainland Europe. The UK gets its right-hand drive versions in early 2023, but the U.S. will have to wait until early 2024 to get its hands on the long-awaited retro EV.

"10,000 orders, without the car actually being at the dealer, let alone a customer having driven it. That is just impressive," VW Commercial Vehicle's head of sales, Lars Krause wrote to employees at the Hanover plant in an email seen by Automobilwoche.

"I am very pleased that the ID Buzz and the ID Buzz Cargo are already selling so well," Krause said. "We are, after all, still in the launch phase, before the market launch. Pre-sales have not even started yet in France and the UK."

Volkswagen will ultimately build 15,000 Buzz vans this year, ramping up to 60,000 next year, and 130,000 later in the model cycle, Automotive News Europe reports, meaning the EV won't be sold out for long. But anyone in continental Europe hoping to be the first in their city to get behind the wheel is in for disappointment if they haven't already got an order in with their local dealer.

The European version of the ID. Buzz that hits showrooms this year is available with an 82 kWh battery and as a five-seat minivan or ID. Buzz Cargo panel van riding on the same wheelbase. One of the reasons U.S. fans must wait longer for their EVs is that North American versions will ride on the longer-wheelbase platform that won't launch in Europe until next year.


Link: https://www.carscoops.com/2022/08/volkswagens-id-buzz-electric-minivan-is-sold-out-in-europe/

[veeman]

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2024-volkswagen-id-buzz-first-look-review/

Based on above article, price range will be $45-60 thousand, range of around 270 mpg, and RWD or AWD.  I think it looks good and funky especially in bright colors and price, especially in base form, is decent. 

Any electric car outside of Tesla is not a good family vacation car (even true for Tesla) and minivans are often used for family vacations so the typical buyer would then probably need another ICE minivan or more likely large SUV.  It looks to be a real nice car though.   

[SJ_GTI]

I could see myself getting a short wheelbase version of the van. Not for family stuff of course but just as a practical daily driver with plenty of cargo space. I think the long wheelbase version would be too big for me though.

The shitty thing for me though is that VW already makes what would be just about the ideal EV for me in the ID.3, but it will never be sold in North America.

If Tesla ever makes a smaller/cheaper car than the model 3 I'd be interested. Or if GM really can sell a Equinox EV for 30k I might be up for that. I don't even need/want the long range versions. 150-200 miles would be plenty for me.

[Laconian]

Bolt EUV is what you want!

[CaminoRacer]

Bolt EUV is what you want!

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I'm tempted to trade our 104k mile Bolt for a new Bolt EUV. Maybe next year if the car market starts to catch up on demand.

[SJ_GTI]

Bolt EUV is what you want!

If they were RWD or AWD I'd already have one most likely.

[MrH]

If they were RWD or AWD I'd already have one most likely.

Agreed, that's the worst part about it.  But that's also why it's cheap.  It's all built off of the D2XX platform still I think.

[r0tor]

Legit downside of an EV power train is AWD requires a completely additional power train unit rather than just a diff and axel

[SJ_GTI]

Legit downside of an EV power train is AWD requires a completely additional power train unit rather than just a diff and axel

I don't think that is true. I think if if they wanted to add an additional axle from a single motor to a differential they could, it is just generally cheaper and easier to use additional motors instead of an axle/differential.

[r0tor]

I don't think that is true. I think if if they wanted to add an additional axle from a single motor to a differential they could, it is just generally cheaper and easier to use additional motors instead of an axle/differential.

An EV skateboard design has no tunnel to put a driveshaft and center diff.  Additionally in most cases are no places to even integrate in a center diff or power takeoff unit into the EV drive unit.  Also the center diff is an efficiency loss which is a large issue with an EV  - a 10% reduction in fuel mileage is one story, a 10% reduction in EV range is another

[Morris Minor]

It's a nice platform & package, but the deal killer is VW's software, which is a total & utter dog.

[giant_mtb]

An EV skateboard design has no tunnel to put a driveshaft and center diff.  Additionally in most cases are no places to even integrate in a center diff or power takeoff unit into the EV drive unit.  Also the center diff is an efficiency loss which is a large issue with an EV  - a 10% reduction in fuel mileage is one story, a 10% reduction in EV range is another

Are there any AWD EVs that have primary drive motors on one end and secondary/weaker drive motors on the other that make for an uneven split of power delivery sorta like a 60/40 Quattro system? I think that could be a good ticket. Reduce cost and motor size on one axle but still be able to offer AWD for when it counts. It doesn't take much power to "help" a stuck front or rear end get out of something or maintain driveability in less-than-ideal conditions.

[r0tor]

I don't think it's uncommon for AWD EVs to have a smaller motor up front

[MrH]

Are there any AWD EVs that have primary drive motors on one end and secondary/weaker drive motors on the other that make for an uneven split of power delivery sorta like a 60/40 Quattro system? I think that could be a good ticket. Reduce cost and motor size on one axle but still be able to offer AWD for when it counts. It doesn't take much power to "help" a stuck front or rear end get out of something or maintain driveability in less-than-ideal conditions.

That's probably more common than having identical motors front and rear.

There's also the concept of "disconnecting" one of them.  Having no disconnect means you need to at least give some power to a motor, even if it isn't actually providing any power to move the vehicle along.  Some have a clutch based disconnect for cruising, or lower demands.  Others are permanently connected at all times.