The New VW Electric Bus: What's Taking So Long?
Andrew Koole
· 3 min read
In 2015,
Volkswagen
released images of a new idea—an electric vehicle
inspired by the “double-punch buggy” Type 2 van adopted by the hippie movement in the ‘60s. Shortly after, the diesel emissions scandal blew up in the company’s face.Since then, the electric bus has regularly been used to repair the VW image. An ad addressing the scandal starred the new concept. It gained a new name and received new release dates. But the electric microbus or ID.Buzz is yet to actually arrive at dealerships.
Now the
German automaker
has offered new information about the electric van’s future. But after six years of teasing, can we really trust VW to deliver?
A short history of the VW electric bus concept
In September 2015, images of a new Type 2-inspired Volkswagen bus surfaced with rumors that the van would be at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in
Las Vegas
in the new year. That same month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced that the company had cheated on its emissions tests on vehicles made between 2009 and 2015. The company has been marred with legal troubles ever since.
Despite the scandal, Volkswagen went ahead with the reveal of the VW Budd-e, which has since been renamed the ID.Buzz.
Green Car Reports
says the automaker has thrown ideas for a new bus since 2001, but it has only been a serious contender for production since the announcement that the current concept would be shown at CES in 2016. The road to production for the VW electric bus
When Volkswagen first presented what is now the ID.Buzz, it was said that 2017 would see the first production models.
In 2017, an updated version of the concept was presented at the Detroit Auto Show, and later that year, VW announced its plans to start production in 2022. Since then, the company has rationed details, offering info in small portions throughout the last four years.
In November 2021, the final version set for production was shown at a VW corporate event. The van closely resembles the 2017 concept. It will use the same powertrain platform as the automaker’s current EVs.
Business Insider
says a presentation in September suggested plans to use the new van for an autonomous taxi service VW plans to roll out in 2025 with tech startup Argo AI.VW electric bus cost of ownership
Rumor has it the ID.Buzz will start at less than $50,000, but no official price has been released. That said, EV ownership costs have been hotly contested over the last year.
Starting prices are still higher than gas-powered vehicles on average, and other expenses like
car insurance
have been a struggle for EV owners as well, leading industry leader Tesla
to launch its own insurance option. A lot of this will likely change by the time the VW ID.Buzz finally reaches the U.S. market in 2023. No matter which way it goes, you will find the best prices for electric van insurance by shopping for quotes with
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