The ID. Buzz Cargo electric van has been named International Van of the Year for 2023, despite not having made any customer deliveries to date.
The much anticipated and fully electric ID.Buzz is seen as the successor to the iconic Volkswagen Kombi, and has been making a big splash at the world’s biggest truck show, the IAA Transportation Hub, where it has been doing test drives and displayed in multiple different capacities.
At IAA Volkswagen showed off the cargo and passenger versions of the ID. Buzz, as well as four near-production concept variants – including as passenger transporter, refrigerated van, a service van, a mobile food vendor, and even a small tipper truck.
The Driven editor Giles Parkinson also took the ID. Buzz for a test drive at IAA last week.
It was the ID. Buzz Cargo version that won the van of the year award, which is made by 34 leading commercial vehicle journalists.
“It’s not too often that a totally new van concept comes around and arouses so much attention in the marketplace,” said Jarlath Sweeney, the head of the judging panel.
The ID. Buzz will not come cheap, though. Volkswagen announced pricing for its ID. Buzz vans earlier this year, with the base model for the five-seater will start at around €55,000, which at current conversion comes to around $A82,000, though that doesn’t include transport costs and local taxes.
As for the passenger ID. Buzz, expectations are that it will cost around €64,000, depending on which variant you are buying, which converts to around $A95,000 at current rates.
