Category Archives: I.D Buzz

Volkswagen Is Bringing 2 New Electric Cars to U.S., Report Says

Electric Cars, I.D Buzz, I.D., I.D. AEROe, I.D. Cross, I.D. Lounge, News, Reviews and Comment, Volkswagen

A leaked slide confirmed the plans to unveil two new U.S.-bound EVs under the Volkswagen brand.

Volkswagen Group is getting ready to hit the EV market hard. Between the recent news of a new Microbus successor and the continual improvement of Audi-brand EVs, Volkswagen is positioning itself in a very good way. But after a slide deck was reportedly leaked by Autoblog Netherlands, it seems that two new models are headed to the States.

The blog, which is written in Dutch, reveals the planned markets for several releases of electric vehicles under the Volkswagen brand between 2019 and 2022. These two models, the I.D. Lounge and I.D. AEROe are set to be released in the United States and China sometime between 2020 and 2021, assuming things go according to plan. To put this in perspective with Volkswagen’s other releases, the timeline also shows the following vehicles and the possible target dates for their corresponding markets:

  • Volkswagen I.D. – Released in the European market sometime around 2019
  • Volkswagen I.D. Cross – Released in the European and Chinese markets sometime between 2019 and 2020
  • Volkswagen I.D. Lounge – Released in the Chinese and United States markets sometime around 2020
  • Volkswagen I.D. AEROe- Released in the Chinese and United States markets sometime between 2020 and 2021
  • Volkswagen I.D. BUZZ – Release is still to be decided presumably between 2021 and 2022

Judging by the images, which are cars covered by sheets, the I.D. Lounge appears to be a full-size SUV, while the I.D. Aero seems to possibly fit a smaller hatchback profile, similar to the existing Audi A3 E-Tron. It is likely that these models will also be built in Volkswagen Group’s large electric assembly plant in Brussels, assuming it is up to the task of eight (five Volkswagen and three Audi) new EVs in the next five years.

Read more: The Drive

VW to launch electric minivan as part of its planned EV range

Electric Cars, Electric Vans, I.D Buzz, News, Reviews and Comment, Volkswagen

Volkswagen (VW) is to send its microbus-styled minivan, previewed at the Detroit Auto Show early in 2017 as a concept named the I.D Buzz, into production as an electric vehicle (EV).

The news comes as part of the German manufacturer’s push to market a wide range of EVs under the I.D electric car sub-brand.

The concept is based around an update of the classic VW Transporter, and VW brand chief Herbert Diess told UK magazine Auto Express:

‘Emotional cars are very important for the brand. We are selling loads of Beetles still, particularly in US markets. But we will also have the Microbus that we showed, which we have recently decided we will build.’

The production version will be based on the company’s Modular Electric Drive (known as MEB) platform, which was first shown at the Paris Motor Show in 2016, where the I.D branding was launched with a compact car. The Buzz concept features an electric motor at each axle, which produced around 369bhp total, with a claimed range of 372 miles and an 80% recharge time of 30 minutes. It is unknown how these figures will hold up in the production version.

The concept version also featured extensive autonomous technology, which is currently not ready for use on roads in Europe, but is under development. The model is expected to arrive in showrooms by 2022, with multiple versions likely to be offered, and could include a camper and pickup truck version to tie in with the original Bus model of the 1960s. It will join the I.D CROZZ, an electric SUV planned for launch in 2020.

Read more: Autovista Group