Volkswagen has revealed images of its fun and funky electric Kombi – officially dubbed the ID.Buzz – ahead of an official launch on Wednesday.
The new images reveal two-tone themed upholstery that harkens back to the original T1 camper van, but are devoid of leather, and instead made using sustainable materials with a similar look and feel.
The ArtVelours Eco upholstery uses 71% recycled materials while the thread use 10% recycled marine plastic and PET bottles, which VW says produce 32% less carbon emissions than other products.
Cute motifs adorn the interior as well, like smiley face covers on fixings, and fresh colour accents complement the exterior paint.
VW says there are also a slew of clever inclusions such as hidden bottle openers and ice scrapers, which will no doubt come in handy for those taking their ID.Buzz for a camping weekend or hanging at the beach with friends.
Available both in a two-row five-seater option and also as the ID.Buzz Cargo, the electric Volkswagen offers oodles of space including a massive 3.9m behind the front row in the case of the Cargo version.
Even with passengers on board, there is a huge 1,121 litres of space for luggage thanks to the carmaker’s modular MEB electric platform.
With a history strongly associated with the 1960s hippy movement, its no surprise that an electric VW Kombi (otherwise known as a Microbus) is a highly anticipated addition to the transition to electric mobility.
And while it’s been a few years in the making, Volkswagen has now set an official world premiere date for the ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo this Wednesday (Europe time), which anyone can view at this Livestream link.
There is no clue on pricing for the ID.Buzz as yet, and unfortunately, it is not on the cards for Australia – except perhaps as a grey import.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.