Volkswagen has two iconic products more than half a century old, recognized worldwide. One of them is going electric, and it isn’t the Beetle.
What you see above is called the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz, but you’ll be forgiven if you call it the microbus. An obvious successor to the famous VW Type 2 of surfboards, curtained windows, and giant peace signs, the new version will probably be the first all-electric minivan to reach American showrooms.
The European version is set to go on sale this year, but America will have to wait until 2024 until they are available here.
Volkswagen has been completely silent on pricing. Most of the new crop of EVs have landed in the mid-$40,000 range. That may be a reasonable estimate for the ID.Buzz. But, as the first electric minivan, it gets to set the tone, so higher prices are possible.
Minivan buyers looking to spend less on fuel with an electrified vehicle have only the Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid available for now, though it’s worth mentioning that the latest Toyota Sienna uses a standard hybrid powertrain.
No Mistaking What it Is
From the outside, its genetics are obvious. The classic microbus got its looks from its unusual architecture — the engine sat in the rear, letting the front take on classic-city-bus smooth proportions with no need for a grille. As an EV, the ID.Buzz doesn’t need one, either. Modern safety requirements mean it needs a crumple zone in front of the driver, but VW designers have kept the lines smooth and evocative of the classic van.
Two-tone paint jobs call its heritage out best.
More Modern Inside Than Out
Inside, the driver’s position is more modern than the classic shape would lead you to expect. A 10-inch digital display takes the place of the driver’s gauges, with another beside it handling entertainment and climate control functions. It borrows one feature from VW’s ID.4 electric SUV — a light bar at the base of the windshield that subtly communicates messages in the driver’s peripheral vision — flashing side to side to indicate turn-by-turn directions, for instance.
Buyers can choose from single color upholstery options or a set of two-tone schemes that set candy-colored hues against cream backgrounds and match exterior color options.
Few Mechanical Details for Now
Europeans will see a short-wheelbase version that seats five and a cargo van edition. But America will get only a long-wheelbase edition with seating for seven, like other minivans. There’s no word yet on whether the lounge-style seating seen in concept models, where the second row can face the third, will be an option.
The ID.Buzz will appear in Europe this year, where it will come with just one powertrain choice. It’s the same as the base model ID.4 — a rear-motor, rear-wheel-drive layout with 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque. It uses an 82 kWh battery. VW didn’t reveal range figures, but in the ID.4, that combination is good for 268 miles. It might be a bit lower with more weight to pull in a van.
But the ID.4 also comes in an all-wheel-drive, two-motor layout good for 302 horsepower. Since the two sit on the same platform, we expect to see that setup offered for sale when the new ‘bus comes stateside in a couple of years.
