Volkswagen has confirmed it will produce a production version of its I.D. Buzz concept vehicle as an electric van with on-sale expected in 2022.

VOLKSWAGEN HAS CONFIRMED its I.D. Buzz concept car will become the brand’s first full-electric van and will go on-sale in 2022. The announcement was made overnight at the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, California.

Chairmen of the Board of Management at Volkswagen, Dr Herbert Diess said: “[Pebble Beach is] Just the right place for the I.D. BUZZ,” explains Diess. “The vehicle is an important pillar in Volkswagen’s electric drive initiative and carries the Microbus driving feeling into the future.”

Volkswagen said it is mainly targeting the markets in North America, Europe and China with both the I.D. BUZZ and the I.D. family overall.

“After the presentations at the global motor shows in Detroit and Geneva, we received a large number of letters and emails from customers who said, ‘please build this car’”, Diess said.

“The Microbus, which is what the Bulli is called in America, has always been part of the California lifestyle. Now we’re bringing it back by developing Volkswagen’s next e-generation and by reinventing the Bulli as an electric vehicle.”

Like the show car, the production version will have its batteries mounted in the floor and because, says VW, the electric drive system doesn’t take up much room, the front and rear axles can be pushed apart to create plenty of room inside and both short front and rear overhangs.

“The vehicle therefore looks like a short compact van on the outside, even as it offers the generous interior space of a large van”, Diess explained.

“Along with a minibus version, we’ll also be offering an I.D. BUZZ Cargo variant for zero-emission delivery operations in a Level 3 vehicle that boasts a high degree of automated driving capability”, said Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles CEO Dr Eckhard Scholz. “It’s an ideal electric van concept, particularly for inner cities.”

Expansion of the electric vehicle range is part of Volkswagen’s Strategy 2025, which foresees more than 30 all-electric models by that time.