2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Electric Bus

Photo via vw.com

The Volkswagen Bus was one of the most iconic sights on American roads during the 1960s and 1970s. Now, Volkswagen is bringing it back with a technological edge — it will be 100% electric. Let’s take a look at what is expected from the magnificent rework of that storied set of classic vehicles below.

Current New Inventory Contact Us

The Volkswagen Bus That Was

To know how far the Volkswagen Bus has come in its electric form since those glory days, we must look at a few of the features of the classic versions. When you compare them to what is expected to be on the new electric bus, you’re sure to be amazed by how advanced the new bus is. The engines back then were usually either flat-four or V-6 air-cooled versions. They got an average of 20 miles per gallon. 

The steering wheels were floor-mounted rather than console-mounted back then, and the seating was bench format front, center, and rear. The transmissions were of the old box variety, and the body style of the old buses was extraordinarily smooth and rectangular, with a slight overhang of the roof panel over the windshield.

The Volkswagen EV Exterior

Photo via vw.com

The exterior styling of the new 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Electric Bus will be a more streamlined and rounded twist on the old iconic style. It will feature headlights that wrap from the front to the sides in a narrow band, an artistic-looking laced front bumper, and almost no body lines in the traditional spots. 

There is no long hood or deep side paneling for your average SUV—the exterior of the new 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Electric Bus has an exciting feature that we’ve not seen for many years: a frunk. Frunks are frontal trunks. The new electric bus will have no shortage of storage space.

ID.Buzz EV Capabilities

The specifics in this area have been tough to hunt down. To get any information beyond what Volkswagen released on the new ID.Buzz, vehicle journalists had to catch it on a test run near the Arctic Circle. At the very least, this testing in Northern Sweden proved that the ID.Buzz can hold its own in the coldest of climates. The base trim level will have around 200 horsepower. In comparison, the top trim will have about 300 horsepower. 

The 200 horsepower version of the ID.Buzz is likely to be a one-motor version with a range of around 340 miles per charge. The more powerful version will probably have two electric motors and get 200 miles per charge. 

The battery pack is flat, massive, and floor-mounted, so the weight distribution of this van is perfect. This makes it easier to tune the suspension system and keep it in ideal condition. This electric van can be charged to 80% of its capacity in a breathtaking half-hour at 150-kWh with a swift-charge unit. It seats seven occupants comfortably, has an automated driving system, and is expected to cost around $45,000.

A Truly Futuristic Interior

The interior of the 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Electric Bus breaks the mold entirely. No other vehicle in or out of its class can pull off a quick switch between a standard bus interior and a small conference room. You read that right. The front seats can do a complete 180-degree turn, lock in place, and face a central table with the rear passengers on the other side. There are even rumors that an augmented reality system will allow the driver of the 2024 ID.Buzz to drive the vehicle safely in this configuration. 

Such an interface would have to include a modular steering wheel and a head-up display, but the final form the system suite will take is unknown. The center console contains the table, which pops up with the push of a button.

A high-spec infotainment system is likely to grace the interior of the 2024 ID.Buzz, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smart device integration, a Wi-Fi hot spot, and the newest iteration of Volkswagen’s Car-Net software. This software allows you to access many of the systems of your Volkswagen. You can also track it if someone else uses it, setting maximum speeds for guest drivers. 

The radio, infotainment system, air conditioning system, and GPS are all likely to be voice-activated since Volkswagen has said this will be their most advanced model yet. Two rows of seating are expected to be standard, with a third optional.

Volkswagen’s New Autonomous Driving System

Photo via vw.com

The 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Electric Bus was spotted during the company’s testing of its newest autonomous driving system. This system includes onboard cameras, lidar modules, radar sensors, and a high-spec computer capable of scanning and identifying objects as far as 400 meters away. 

The new autonomous system is built to do something that no similar system has managed so far: autonomous driving without the aid of a GPS system sync-up. Time will tell whether or not the system will be complete in time for the 2024 release of the ID.Buzz, but if it is, this bus will have the most advanced autonomous driving system available to consumers outside of the luxury class vehicle tier.

High-Tech Safety Systems

The 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Electric Bus is sure to come with the company’s most advanced suite of safety features. These will include adaptive cruise control, active parking assistance, automatic emergency braking for collision mitigation, automatic high-beam headlights, a blind-spot monitor and alert system, a driver attention monitor with an alert, lane departure alert and assistance, pedestrian and cross-traffic detection, and traffic sign recognition. The airbags have yet to be counted appropriately, but they will be occupant-sensing and, where applicable, dual-stage.

We are as thrilled as you are to see this classic bus brought back in such an advanced and innovative way. We’ll keep you up to date on the Volkswagen ID.Buzz Electric Bus as new information is released. Feel free to contact us for more information or to order your own ID.Buzz. The professional staff at Volkswagen of Streetsboro, Ohio, is at your service.