VW's iconic bus returns in 2024 with the all-electric ID. BUZZ
The classic VW bus, an icon of California's 1960s surf culture, has been retooled for the electric age.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Nearly everyone knows about the Volkswagen bus, an icon of the road for decades. Well, it's back.
The ID Buzz is the latest electric vehicle in Volkswagen's lineup, and honors a significant part of the brand's heritage.
"Today, we pass the torch to the next generation. The ID Buzz is the modern version of the microbus, reimagined for the electric future," said Pablo Di Si, CEO of VW North America.
It's futuristic, but also retro-inspired - a delicate balancing act. The VW buses of the 1960s are part of this country's automotive history.
"From the surfing culture born on the shores behind me, to the counterculture born at Woodstock," noted Di Si, after introducing the new model right next to the sand at Huntington Beach.
Already on sale in Europe, the ID Buzz will arrive here in 2024 in one form: A three-row passenger van, with the electric motor in the rear.
The rear is where the gasoline engines in the old buses did duty. But this updated version will be completely modern in every way, and was a big hit with the large group of Volkswagen bus enthusiasts who brought their vintage ones for the big unveiling party.
"I love it. I've grown up with one, I love the buses, and I love that I'm going to see new ones on the road, especially with the emerging electric vehicle market," said Connor Slomann, who drives and maintains a 1969 bus that his father purchased 15 years ago.
"The buses, you know you have so much room, take you anywhere," said Paul Serventi, who owns a 1967 bus with the full Westfalia camper conversion.
When asked what he thought about VW bringing out a new one, he quickly answered."It's about time."
No stats from Volkswagen as far as battery range or price, but it'll likely cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $60,000 when it hits showrooms. Oh, and VW is trying to keep a broad spectrum of buyers happy, with both technology and tradition.
"You'll soon see self-driving ID Buzzes on the streets of the U.S. And we have already talked about a camper version," said Thomas Shafer, CEO for Volkswagen passenger cars at the Huntington Beach event.
And will we see them with surfboard racks? You can almost bet on that.
Source: KABC-TV
