The EV world was abuzz this week with rumors of the upcoming ID. Buzz, first revealed in concept form all the way back in 2017. The battery-electric Microbus was an instant hit with auto show crowds from the very start, promising a zero-emission trip back to a happier time, along with plenty of range and luxury features inside. The ID. Buzz concept has pretty much been the poster vehicle for VW’s post-diesel turn to electrification, and had been among the first vehicles of this new generation to be greenlit, even if it was not scheduled to be the first to arrive on the market.
We’re now finally approaching that promised era in which the ID. Buzz will see a market launch—close enough to see prototypes running around Germany with minimal camo. The market launch itself is still distant, 2022 in Europe and a year later in the states as a 2024 model. So it’s not quite around the corner, but is close enough on the horizon to be able to glimpse some prototypes on the streets. And just a few days ago we got an indication of just what electric van’s variants could be called, as the Buzz has been believed to be a working name but perhaps not a final name for any variants. And we say variants because VW has already shown a couple of versions it wants to offer, including a panel van aimed at small businesses. Additionally, short-wheelbase and long-wheelbase variants are expected to be offered among the versions.
VW ID Talk now reports that the names Loungeback, Streamback and ID. Life have been trademarked in Europe, likely suggesting future versions with different interior layouts.
Separately, Automotive News has reported this week that three versions of the Buzz are headed into production: a minivan for private owners, a six-passenger van for ride-pooling, and a commercial panel van.
The second item reported in the past few days was hardly a new revelation, because we’ve known for some time that VW would produce commercial versions, already shown in concept form over a year ago, while also promising high levels of autonomous driving in production versions. Throw in a couple of different wheelbase lengths and the total number of Buzz variants could add up really fast. In fact, so much time has passed between the reveal of very first concept and its still-upcoming market launch, many in the industry thought Level 5 autonomy would be here already.
But an additional version of the ID. Buzz is the subject of our question this week: a pickup, in the style of those offered by the original Type 2. It’s safe to say that those models were far more popular in Europe than they were stateside back in the day, but now that battery-electric pickup trucks are weeks away from first deliveries, it would perhaps be an opportunity missed if VW did not offer pickup versions of the ID. Buzz.
Our renderings show just what such models could look like, both in two and four-door flavors. The two-door version would be a minimalist model, meant to maximize cargo space with enough room for some fairly large toys like bicycles, kayaks, a single motorcycle and other machines that require as much room as a pickup truck.
Another version seen in our renderings would be a four-door model, with smallish doors for a second row of seats. This DOKA version would be a little more suburban-friendly, offering room for five passengers plus some cargo, playing the role of an alternative to the Honda Ridgeline. Such a model would be more comfort-oriented inside, and could serve as a primary family truckster, while also offering flexibility to haul some large items from time to time.
Given the level of interest in electric pickup trucks at the moment, and since VW has not yet shown a concept pickup, perhaps Wolfsburg could benefit from bringing back the rarer versions of the Type 2 with the new iteration of the Microbus, including two-door and DOKA variants.
Should VW offer pickup truck versions of the ID. Buzz? Let us know in the comments below.
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