The return of the Volkswagen bus—in the form of the electric ID.Buzz—is arguably the most anticipated vehicle launch of 2023. And it matters what Volkswagen die-hards think about it.
In March 2022, Volkswagen sent a prototype of the ID.Buzz to the famous South by Southwest cultural extravaganza in Austin, Texas, to gauge reactions. Matt Jackson and Gary Alexander, hosts of the popular VW Life YouTube channel, put the yellow European-spec ID.Buzz through its paces. The duo stacked it against an old-school two-tone 1966 bus named Ziggy.
Cashing in on Nostalgia
Matt Jackson and Gary Alexander with their test ID.Buzz in Austin. Gary used to own that bar. (Photo courtesy of Matt Jackson)
Jackson and Alexander took measurements of both VWs, finding the ID.Buzz to be six inches wider and 14 inches longer. Mostly, they approved of touches that echo the original: the two-tone paint, the oversized VW emblem up front, the vast glass front window, and even the fake air vents on the C-pillar.
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It’s not a Routan, nor is it routine.
But they also applauded the modern improvements, including eight USB ports, as much as 300 miles of zero-emission range, 30-minute fast charge capability, and the functional four-by-four-foot cargo area that can accommodate a shipping pallet.
John Muir’s iconic repair manual is still in print.
Jackson, the owner of a 1965 Microbus, told eBay Motors:
I think they caught the spirit of the original bus. The people who used to own a Volkswagen will love the ID.Buzz, but maybe they’ll also miss the charm of the vintage Volkswagens we own—which are simple to work on yourself.
Tim Miller of Turner, Ore., is the state representative of the Vintage Volkswagen Club and owns multiple Vdubs. He has a 1956 split-window Beetle that his father bought new, a 1974 VW Thing, and a 1976 VW Camper.
Miller said:
The ID.Buzz has a cute factor that is definitely going to attract people. But the relatively short battery range will keep electric cars as second choices until next-generation batteries give more range.
Many EV newbies worry about range until they start driving an electric car. The Volkswagen ID.Buzz’s combination of a potential 300 miles on a charge and fast-charging capability will satisfy nearly every driver except those wanting to complete non-stop cross-country trips. With a DC fast charger, a five- to 80-percent charge (adding about 240 miles) will take less than half an hour.
Cultural Revolution
What’s old is always what’s new, eventually.
Volkswagen buses were always more about vibes than specs. A few years ago, Tom Turrentine, the late automotive anthropologist, told us:
Volkswagen vans intersected with the 1960s cultural revolution, California surf culture, and the American family vacation. It was just a box on wheels and very underpowered. But it connects with people taking to the road, going to festivals or camping, and getting outdoors, away from cities.
Turrentine believed that VW vans had shortcomings, but that was part of their appeal.
There’s a guy down the street from me who drives a 1964 camper. It sat in a field for years, where it was riddled with 100 bullet holes. But he restored it and drove around that carcass with bullet holes. I love that.
A Hit in the Making
Cowabunga!
The VW ID.Buzz could be a bestseller and a boost to the nascent electric car market. By October, VW had garnered 20,000 advance orders globally. The ID.Buzz was sold out in Europe through 2022. There are currently six-month wait times, even with no examples in showrooms. Lars Krause, a VW spokesman, said that putting the buses in dealerships should yield “a further surge in demand.” The plan is to produce 100,000 units globally in 2023.
This ad ran in Rolling Stone after Jerry Garcia died in 1995.
VW showed several versions of the retro Microbus (initially called the Bulli) before it finally committed to producing it as an electric-only vehicle. The design debuted at the Detroit Auto Show in 2017. The designs were well-received, updated versions of the Microbus’s iconic people-friendly design.
See our 2017 article: Old Microbuses Are Hot, But VW Balks at Bringing Back its Hippie Icon
The US version of the VW ID.Buzz will have seven seats and measure 196.1 inches. That should accommodate third-row passengers and ensure a sizable luggage compartment. Its 150-kilowatt electric motor will produce 295 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. The range should be about 300 miles. There’s no official US pricing, but it’s expected to start around $40,000.
