The Volkswagen ID. Buzz has generated immense buzz, and for good reason. The promise of a reborn Microbus, modernized for the electric age, tugs at nostalgic heartstrings while appealing to a future-forward audience. As an automotive repair expert at keyfobx.com, I approached the ID. Buzz with considerable anticipation, hoping Volkswagen had successfully captured the spirit of the original in a compelling EV package. While the ID. Buzz delivers on many fronts, a significant limitation casts a shadow over its otherwise sunny disposition, particularly for those dreaming of open-road adventures.
I’ve followed the ID. Buzz saga closely, from its initial European short-wheelbase version in 2022 to the US-market long-wheelbase reveal in 2023, and finally, the long-awaited opportunity to test drive the long-wheelbase model. Volkswagen has certainly built anticipation over these years, and the ID. Buzz arrives with a weight of expectation, aiming to recapture the magic of the iconic VW Bus for a new generation.
The journey to this point has been decades in the making, with the first concept for a new Microbus appearing back in 2001, fueling dreams of a retro-modern revival.
Finally getting behind the wheel of the ID. Buzz for a week, there was one crucial test it had to face: a real-world road trip. Beyond the controlled environments of press events, I needed to assess its performance on highways, dealing with the unpredictable realities of long-distance EV travel. This road trip test aimed to uncover whether the ID. Buzz could truly live up to its potential as a versatile and practical vehicle.
Road Trip Reality Check for the ID. Buzz
My primary concern going into this test was the ID. Buzz’s all-electric powertrain and its implications for long-distance travel. The vehicle itself boasts impressive qualities: exceptional packaging, a spacious interior, and comfortable seating in all rows, including the third row. The luggage space is commendable even with all seats in use, and folding down the middle row and removing the rear seats reveals a cavernous cargo area. In essence, the ID. Buzz appears tailor-made for road trips.
To put this to the test, I embarked on a journey from North Carolina to Savannah, Georgia – a roughly five-hour drive under normal circumstances. With just two occupants and minimal luggage, the trip was well within the ID. Buzz’s theoretical capabilities, yet it served to highlight a critical limitation.
The Range Problem: City Car in a Road Trip Body
The fundamental issue with the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, in my experience, is that it presents itself as an ideal road trip vehicle but is hampered by a range more suited to urban environments.
The rear-wheel-drive ID. Buzz, the model I tested, has an official EPA-estimated range of 234 miles. However, real-world road trip conditions tell a different story. Driving at typical highway speeds (65-75 mph) in moderately cold weather, requiring heater usage, and with the battery charged to 90% (from the standard 80%), I consistently achieved a range of only 170 to 190 miles, and sometimes even less. The navigation system proactively directs you to charging stations well before reaching critically low battery levels, further reducing usable range in practice.
This translates to mandatory charging stops every 150 to 160 miles, roughly every two hours of driving. For a vehicle designed for comfortable long journeys, this frequent need to stop and recharge is a significant drawback. Furthermore, the charging process itself is not as seamless or rapid as refueling a gasoline car.
The limitations are not inherent flaws of the ID. Buzz itself, but rather reflections of the current state of EV charging infrastructure in the US. While home charging addresses daily commuting needs, it’s less relevant for road trips where reliance on public charging networks becomes paramount.
Road trips necessitate utilizing the fastest available chargers to minimize downtime. Slower chargers can add hours to the journey. Even fast chargers, often located at less-than-ideal locations like behind retail stores or shipping container yards, require a significant time commitment. My post-road trip experience with a local charger delivering only 15 miles of range per hour underscored the variability and potential inconvenience of public charging.
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While fast chargers exist, sometimes even surprisingly branded as Mercedes-Benz chargers in unexpected locations, the overall charging experience is still far from ideal.
Charging stops during my road trip averaged around 30 minutes, often behind a Walmart, and typically cost between $40 and $45 per charge. Requiring multiple charges for a relatively short trip resulted in a higher energy cost compared to a gasoline-powered vehicle for the same journey.
The charging experience is further compounded by charger reliability issues. Encountering malfunctioning chargers, akin to a crashed computer, adds another layer of frustration and unpredictability to EV road trips.
The anticipated Tesla Supercharger adapter may improve charging accessibility, but it still doesn’t bridge the gap in convenience and speed compared to gasoline refueling, which remains the benchmark for road trip practicality.
Frustration and Missed Potential of the ID. Buzz
The core question arises: what is the intended purpose of the ID. Buzz in its current form? As a cargo van, utilizing its electric platform for local deliveries makes perfect sense. However, the passenger ID. Buzz, both in design and spirit, evokes the essence of a road trip vehicle – a symbol of freedom and adventure.
With a starting price around $60,000, the ID. Buzz is a significant investment. The interior is spacious and comfortable, even in darker color schemes, and features like multi-zone climate control and a premium audio system enhance the passenger experience. It’s a vehicle designed to transport families and friends in comfort over long distances.
However, the promise of comfortable long journeys is undermined by the frequent and time-consuming charging stops, often in uninspiring locations.
Despite the charging frustrations, the ID. Buzz excels in many aspects. The driving experience is surprisingly enjoyable, with impressive acceleration and smooth highway cruising. The low center of gravity, thanks to the battery pack, contributes to excellent road holding and surprisingly agile handling for a vehicle of its size. The brakes are also noteworthy, providing confident stopping power.
Aesthetically, the ID. Buzz is a standout. The retro-inspired design, especially with the two-tone paint, turns heads and evokes positive reactions. It successfully reimagines the classic minivan as something genuinely cool and desirable.
The ID. Buzz is fast, spacious, practical, stylish, and comfortable – ticking almost every box. Its limitation lies in its compromised long-distance usability due to the current EV infrastructure and range constraints. While perfectly adequate for city driving, the ID. Buzz’s true potential as a road trip machine remains unrealized in its current all-electric form.
The frustration stems from the fact that the ID. Buzz is so close to being exceptional. It’s like having a modern-day Da Vinci who, despite possessing all the attributes, cannot fully execute his artistic vision.
A Hybrid Solution for the Volkswagen ID. Buzz
The most frustrating aspect is that the ID. Buzz’s range limitation is a potentially solvable problem. Introducing a hybrid powertrain or a range extender could fundamentally transform the vehicle’s appeal and practicality. A range-extended ID. Buzz, perhaps similar to Volkswagen’s approach with the new Scout models, would offer the best of both worlds.
By slightly reducing the battery pack size, space could be created to accommodate a combustion engine, possibly a compact inline or flat engine. The fuel tank could be positioned upfront, echoing the layout of the original VW Bus.
A range-extended ID. Buzz would function as a capable all-electric vehicle for daily use, while offering the extended range and refueling convenience of a gasoline car for road trips.
However, due partly to the lingering repercussions of Dieselgate, the ID. Buzz remains purely electric, constrained by infrastructure limitations and perhaps political considerations. A range-extended hybrid version could overcome these hurdles and unlock the ID. Buzz’s full potential. In its current state, the ID. Buzz evokes a sense of disappointment – a feeling of what could have been, and what almost is. Volkswagen possesses all the necessary elements to create a truly exceptional vehicle, but the final execution falls short. The ID. Buzz needs a critical reassessment and a commitment to realizing its full potential.
The hope remains that Volkswagen will recognize the ID. Buzz’s near-perfection and take the necessary steps to fully realize its promise, creating the truly versatile and desirable vehicle it is so close to being.
