March 9 will be the day when Volkswagen is going to (finally) introduce the ID Buzz in production guise. We’re going to see both the passenger model and the cargo version. While all teasers released by the German marque have focused on the former, a new video gives us a closer look at the latter. Members of the media were invited to check out a pre-production prototype of the workhorse, but journalists weren’t allowed to show everything.
Nevertheless, Bjørn Nyland’s walkaround video is a good opportunity to see the VW ID Buzz Cargo and its three front seats. Of course, the most important feature of the version engineered to carry bulky items is the load area with its massive capacity of 3.9 m3. It’s worth noting the commercial version has a partition wall behind the seats and comes with a slightly wider load sill, measuring 623 mm.
Another change compared to the passenger variant is the switch from a giant tailgate to “barn doors” providing access to a cargo area that can take two euro pallets. VW has mentioned the ID Buzz Cargo will offer a payload capacity of 750 kilograms (1,653 pounds) while the load area will be a little over two meters long. Some versions of the electric van will feature a dedicated storage area underneath the passenger side to put even longer items.
The video also shows the electrically deployable tow bar by pressing a button on the left side of the cargo area while the other side has a power socket. Several hooks along with rails to secure the items will be installed and we also get to learn the production ID Buzz Cargo will have electrically operated sliding doors. Towards the end of the video, we can observe the door on the right must be closed first before shutting the left one.
Initially, the VW ID Buzz Cargo will be sold only with rear-wheel drive, a single electric motor, and a battery pack with a net capacity of 77 kWh. The MEB-based electric van has 201 hp and 310 Nm (229 lb-ft) on tap and will have an electronically governed top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h).
Production in Hannover, Germany will commence in the first half of the year, with the first units to be delivered in Europe this fall. The US will only get the passenger model, scheduled to arrive in 2023.
Source: Bjørn Nyland / YouTube
