IBasically, I didn’t want to test the car anymore. What I had experienced in the past few years when I was looking for an electric minibus suitable for everyday use was just too disappointing. The models of ToyotaOpel or Mercedes have all failed terribly so far, as WELT tests also revealed.
For me personally, the successful construction of such a vehicle became a kind of supreme discipline in electromobility. If we succeed in making these bulky, heavy but incredibly practical colossuses quiet and clean, that would be real ecological progress.
A few years ago, I said goodbye to my big Hyundai bus with a heavy heart, because it no longer felt up-to-date, especially for the short trips to daycare, the supermarket or to work. I haven’t found an alternative to this day – and so my family of five has had to squeeze into more or less large station wagons or SUVs ever since.
When then the message from Volkswagen came that WELT could make the ID.Buzz available for a two-week everyday test, I said yes anyway. Curiosity was too great. Maybe the Wolfsburg will finally succeed big electric throw. However, I thought it more likely that the ID.Buzz would be the next mediocre electric vehicle from Volkswagen.
After all: The car had caused a stir in the run-up to its market debut. On the one hand, because it is visually based on a legend, namely the Bulli. On the other hand, because it is the next attempt to fill a previously desolate electric segment with a reasonable vehicle.
The car causes a stir, also because it looks like the VW Bulli
Source: Volkswagen AG
My prejudices against the ID.Buzz were irrational, but big. I thought this bus was nostalgic junk. Sort of stylish – whatever that means – but ultimately more of a vehicle for surfers and well-off boomers.
However, what the consumers really want, namely a family-friendly and practical minibus, I did not expect from the ID.Buzz. A mistake, as I now know. After almost 1000 kilometers in the city, on country roads and on the motorway, one thing is certain: This bus can do a lot more than I thought. It is the first e-bus that really deserves the name.
Cost: A third more than comparable burners
First it can be stated: VW showed courage with this car. The risk of alienating your own clientele is high. After all, the manufacturer’s T-models are all legendary. Because of their size and incomparable functionality.
The footsteps for the ID.Buzz are huge. Especially since this electric vehicle also bears the burden of the high price. Like almost all e-vehicles, the ID.Buzz costs around 70,000 euros, a good third more than a comparably equipped combustion engine model from the same manufacturer.
Inside, the ID.Buzz is modern, minimalist and functional
Those: picture alliance/dpa/Ole Spata
In contrast to the minibus competition, VW has built a completely new vehicle with the ID.Buzz. Not quite as big and functional as the current Multivan. But there is nothing that cannot be transported with it. Despite its compact shape, which is not typical for a minibus, it offers enough space for a family of five and plenty of storage space.
Bulky goods from the hardware store or furniture store can be easily transported. Even the classic, a two-person overnight stay is possible. The car also offers a high level of comfort. The interior offers a mix of modern minimalism and practicality. The many unloading and stowage options are still available – albeit well camouflaged.
Despite its compact shape, which is not typical of a minibus, it offers enough space for a family of five and plenty of storage space
Those: picture alliance/dpa/Ole Spata
The big plus of this automobile is its visual charm. I didn’t meet anyone, really nobody, who didn’t think this bus was great. Of course, the look is always a matter of taste. It is all the more astonishing that the “new Bulli” enchants practically everyone. Never before have so many passers-by knocked on my window in various parking lots. Simply because they want to get rid of their compliments.
“What a nice car”, I heard, “great thing” or just “It looks great”. I know, of course, that a vehicle’s looks shouldn’t be the ultimate test criteria. But such a large consensus I definitely count as a pro-argument.
Well coordinated route planning
Are we still factual: The car drives well. It sits quietly and with its almost 2.5 tons curb weight it is wide and safe on the road. The top speed is an unusually low 145 kilometers per hour – which reflects the new electric zeitgeist.
The ID.Buzz has a well-coordinated electric route planning system. The driver knows at all times where the next available charging options are and how much electricity he can get there and in what time. Here VW is no longer far behind the technology leaders Tesla, Mercedes or Hyundai.
But then there is a flaw. The consumption – and the resulting range. The consumption is on the one hand outstandingly good, on the other hand disappointingly bad. Sounds strange, but that’s how it is. On the country road and – even more importantly – in the city, this big car has surprisingly low fuel consumption.
It consumed between 19 and 22 kilowatt hours (kWh) per 100 kilometers during the test weeks. That’s really good for such a large car and means that you can drive almost 400 km with the approx 80 kWh battery comes.
The big drawback, however, is the Autobahn. Consumption there is significantly higher, namely between 28 and 32 kilowatt hours. The fault is of course the shape of the ID.Buzz. VW has almost completely dispensed with aerodynamics here. In order to emulate its predecessors, especially the “Bulli”, the car behaves like a wall unit at higher speeds.
This inevitably gnaws at the energy efficiency. If you want to drive more than 200 kilometers at a time on the highway, a speed of 110 has to be enough. When it comes to loading speed, the car also outperforms the minibus competition. In practice, the vehicle actually once achieved a value of 160 kW.
On average, however, the flow is more like 80 to 90 kilowatts. Means: In order to recharge a further 200 kilometers of range on the motorway, one is required Loading pause of a good 30 minutes necessary. Many non-minibus models from Hyundai, Tesla or Mercedes can do this much better.
Perfect – except for the range
Conclusion: Even this electric minibus is not perfect. However, the ID.Buzz is much more like what has been on the market so far. It is suitable for everyday use. In everyday life, it offers the good feeling of being on the road electrically in such a large vehicle. Quiet, clean and nimble. The sluggish chugging of the T models is a thing of the past.
For the family target group in the city or in the commuter belt, this car is a game changer. All the noisy and dirty urban journeys can now be done cleanly and smartly. At the same time, you don’t have to make any compromises when it comes to functionality and size.
The rims are a matter of taste, but the ID.Buzz offers space
Those: picture alliance/dpa/Ole Spata
Yes, the flaw of the range remains. But those who dare to complete the four to five more than 500-kilometer journeys per year with good planning and at a rather insidious pace on the motorway should like this bus.
Personally, I have to apologize at this point at the latest. It was wrong to lump this VW together with the failed minibus attempts of the competition. The ID.Buzz establishes a new electrical segment. Finally there is a good e-bus.
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