Volkswagen to revive popular microbus as electric vehicle
Throwback will be on sale in 2022 in North America, Europe, China
The Volkswagen microbus, once both a hippy-dippy icon and rolling home to surfer dudes, is on its way back.
Seeking to reignite Americans’ love affair with the microbus, Volkswagen Group says that it would bring the beloved vehicle back to its lineup. It will be thoroughly updated to make it one of the most modern vehicles on the road, despite its throwback styling.
Although it won’t hit dealerships until 2022, VW said it will incorporate the bus style into a vehicle it calls the I.D. Buzz, which made its debut as a concept and stole the spotlight at the Detroit auto show in January. It will be available in North America, Europe and China.
VW seeks to capitalize on a trend on social media of young adults promoting their road trips in old-school vans under the hashtag #vanlife.
“After the presentations at the global motor shows in Detroit and Geneva, we received a large number of letters and emails from customers who said, ‘Please build this car,’ ” Volkswagen brand CEO Herbert Diess said in a statement.
The company made the announcement at an annual car show in Pebble Beach last weekend because “the microbus has long been part of the California lifestyle,” Diess said.
The vehicle will get semi-selfdriving capability, VW said. And the company said it would make a commercial van version called the I.D. Buzz Cargo, which would compete in a flourishing segment against models such as the Ford Transit and Ram ProMaster.
With its batteries and electric motor positioned underneath the floor, the vehicle has a “massively spacious interior and great proportions,” VW said.
It “looks like a compact commercial van on the outside, even though it offers the generous interior space of a large SUV,” Diess said.
“After the presentations at the global motor shows in Detroit and Geneva, we received a large number of letters and emails from customers who said, ‘Please build this car.’ ”
Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess