Volkswagen will introduce the production version of the long-awaited ID.Buzz, an electric reincarnation of their beloved Microbus or Kombi, on March 9, and is scheduled to launch it in the United States on end of 2023, the company said on Friday.
ID.Buzz is one of the “most anticipated and most hyped” models expected from Volkswagen Scott Keogh, Volkswagen’s head of North American operations said in a media call.
Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess tweeted on Thursday “The legend returns on 03/22/09!” The tweet features an outline of the ID.Buzz van’s profile.
Volkswagen has shown off a series of prototypes for a new Microbus over the past decade. But the previous show cars – the Budd.E and the Bulli – were never produced, to the chagrin of fans of the vehicle.
Keogh says that a three-row version of the ID.Buzz will launch in the United States, where the original minibus has become a symbol of counterculture, in late 2023 or early 2024. Volkswagen will launched a two-row version in Europe.
Volkswagen has no plans to build the ID.Buzz at its Chattanooga plant in the US.
“You want to get to 100,000 units before localization,” says Keogh.
Volkswagen will ramp up production of its ID.4 electric SUV in Chattanooga this year.
Earlier on Friday, Volkswagen said sales of its VW-branded vehicles in the US were up 15% in 2021, driven mainly by strong sales of gasoline-powered SUVs like the Atlas and Tiguan.
Vehicle shortages due to chip supply chain problems will continue to limit vehicle production and sales in the United States through 2022, Keogh said.
He said he believes up to two million potential car buyers have not bought a car in 2021 because of a lack of supply, creating pent-up demand for this year and beyond.
© Thomson Reuters 2021
Stay up to date with the latest from the Gadgets 360 Consumer Electronics Show, at CES 2022 center.
