The long-awaited electric version of the iconic Kombi, the ID.Buzz, may finally arrive on Australian shores in 2024, according to media reports.
Volkswagen Australia has told media that it expects to sell “thousands” of the ID.Buzz, given the popularity of the Kombi and the Australian interest in people movers and vans.
The ID.Buzz comes in multiple forms – people movers, vans, campers, and a host of bespoke options, and has reportedly received more than 20,000 orders in Europe.
The Driven had the opportunity to drive an electric ID.Buzz at the international truck show in Hannover in September – and it is clear that the Buzz will be the most innovative and attractive of the various VW electric offerings. See: First drive of Volkswagen ID.Buzz: Urban cool and tight turning circles.
VW is one of just a handful of major car brands that is yet to bring any electric vehicles to market in Australia, although its aggregate electric series sales – ID.3, ID.4 and ID.5 – now total more than 500,000 worldwide. It has said it intends to bring at least the ID.4 to Australia by late 2023.
(Various of its sub-brands, including Porsche and Audi, have brought EVs to Australia, and Cupra will release the first of its EVs next year).
The addition of the ID.Buzz will add to the growing fleet of electric people movers and delivery vans available in Australia, driven by the rapid shift of transport to electric in Europe, particularly the “last mile” delivery category as more towns and cities prepare to ban petrol and diesel trucks from built up areas.
But while VW says it anticipates big interest in the model, it has told Australian media that the number available in Australia will be a decision of head office.
The ID.Buzz features a battery with a usable capacity of 77kWh and a projected range of more than 400kms. It will likely be priced from around $65,000 for basic van options to well over $100,000 for fully equipped people movers.
The Driven has relied on other media reports for this article as it was not invited to the Sydney media event last week, where two examples of the ID.Buzz were reportedly on show.
VW has also declined The Driven’s requests for first hand information. “Be assured that our brands will prioritise such media as we see fit,” VW Australia’s head of communications Paul Pottinger harrumphed in an email to The Driven.
Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of The Driven, and also edits and founded the Renew Economy and One Step Off The Grid web sites. He has been a journalist for nearly 40 years, is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review, and owns a Tesla Model 3.
