Volkswagen to bring back the iconic Microbus as an electric vehicle in 2022

After years of teasing the idea of bringing back the Microbus as an EV, and some months after it officially confirmed the endeavour, Volkswagen has confirmed that the electric Microbus will be released by 2022.

Volkswagen unveiled the so called I.D.Buzz concept in January 2017, with the first images of how the landmark Microbus will look as an EV.

The official release date was announced at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance, in Monterey, California in 20 August.

The location was not randomly chosen, as according to the Board of Management “the Microbus has long been part of the California lifestyle. Now we’re bringing it back by reinventing it as an electric vehicle”.

Dr Herbert Diess, Volkswagen CEO 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’”.

The company has confirmed that the EVM Microbus will feature a fully electric powertrain, consisting of two electric motors, one at the front axle and one at the rear to generate a total of 369 horsepower.

An impressive fact is the expected driving range of 270 miles, with a 0-60 mph time of about five seconds- meaning that the I.D. Buzz concept will out accelerate every other van on the market and even most of sports cars.

The batteries will be mounted in the floor, and due to the compact size of its electric drive components the new Microbus will have a spacious interior, despite its compact exterior.

“The vehicle looks like a compact commercial van on the outside, even though it offers the generous interior space of a large SUV”, Diess said as the attempt is to fully reincarnate the iconic 60s holiday and relaxation vehicle. 

The 111 kWh battery can be charged up to 80 percent within 30 minutes using the Combined Charging System (CCS) or an inductive charging interface.

The I.D Buzz concept is also expected to be the first fully autonomous multi-purpose vehicle.

Under the I.D Pilot mode, that could make it into production by 2025, the vehicle will be able to detect other drivers and obstacles on the road with laser sensors, ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors, side area view cameras and a front camera.

The I.D.Buzz concept will be the second new long-rage electric car produced by Volkswagen, with the first- the I.D Hatchback concept, expected to be released by 2021.

Take a look on how the EV Microbus will look like here.