Volkswagen Electric Microbus
Volkswagen has confirmed that it will manufacture an electric Microbus, based on the design of the I.D. BUZZ concept car.
The I.D. BUZZ will be on sale in 2022, after the compact four-door electric Volkswagen I.D. The vehicle will have its batteries mounted in the vehicle floor, and the front and rear axles can be mounted far apart from one another, resulting in a long wheelbase and short overhangs, which makes for more space in the interior.
As well as a minibus version, Volkswagen will also be offering an I.D. BUZZ Cargo variant for zero-emission delivery operations.
The production version, which is based on Volkswagen’s new all-electric architecture, will incorporate many design ideas from the concept car. It will also feature variable seating, interactive connectivity and highly automated driving.
Expansion of the electric vehicle range is part of Volkswagen’s Strategy 2025, which foresees more than 30 all-electric models by that time.
The Volkswagen I.D. BUZZ electric MPV concept is a zero emission, all-wheel drive, electric MPV with 8 seats and a 370 mile range.
The I.D. BUZZ concept vehicle has all-wheel drive with electric motors on front and rear axles, a fully automated driving mode (I.D. Pilot) and a new generation of controls.
It can be recharged inductively or from a charging station. At a charging power of 150 kW, it takes around 30 minutes to charge up to 80 per cent.
The new I.D. BUZZ is capable of fully automated ‘I.D. Pilot’ mode (envisaged as of 2025). The driver’s seat can be turned around and the driver can face the passengers in the back. Laser scanners, ultrasound sensors, radar sensors, area-view cameras and a front camera scan the surrounding area, with other traffic data being received via the Cloud.
The battery is located in the vehicle floor. It lowers the centre of gravity and assists with weight distribution. The suspension of the I.D. BUZZ has electronically regulated shock absorbers.
The zero emission all-wheel drive system with output power of 275 kW / 374 PS (electric motors front and rear each delivering 150 kW) helps the I.D. BUZZ to accelerate from 0-62mph in 5 seconds, with a top speed restricted to 100mph.
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