It’s real and it’s nearly here: the iconic VW Kombi made popular in the 70s by hippies and travelers is getting a makeover and being reborn as the all-electric I.D. Buzz.
While it’s not available to buy just yet, CEO Herbert Diess has confirmed in an interview published in the VW group’s internal newsletter that the electric version of the Kombi (originally known as the Microbus in the US) will indeed go into production by 2022, along with 9 other fully electric models.
The German automaker originally showed off the concept bus at last year’s Pebble Beach motor show, to the excitement of fans of the iconic brand.
A streamlined, futuristic version of its previous incarnation, the I.D. Buzz concept retains the familiar rounded profile of the original Kombi, albeit somewhat more aerodynamic.
Batteries will sit low on the vehicle’s flooring, and as the electric powertrain will take up considerably less space, the nearly 5 metre long I.D. Buzz will boast huge amounts of space inside, says Volkswagen.
A rounded steering will retract for Level 3 autonomous mode (this was not a feature in the concept vehicle), and it comes many other modern bells and whistles that will bring the cult Kombi into the future.
There is not a lot to go on currently in regard to specifics or price, but we do know that VW is promising a range of 500-600km for the I.D. family, production and sales for which will be kicked off in 2019 by the compact class I.D. hatch.
