Smaller, Lighter, Cheaper Electric Van From Volkswagen In Development – CleanTechnica

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The VW ID. Buzz held such promise. Former Volkswagen head honcho Herbert Diess once said the company had never seen such a fervor of interest in a new model ever in the company’s history. In second place was the MEB-based ID. BUGGY concept that VW brought to Pebble Beach a few years ago. That car is reported to have been so well received by the crowd that even a spectator driving a Ferrari gave an excited wave.

The nostalgia factor surrounding the original Volkswagen bus — the official vehicle of Deadheads and the Woodstock generation — was intense. The early design sketches and pre-production photos had people salivating. That all came to a screeching halt when the company released the price of its new wunderwagon — $72,385 for the First Edition model in the US. Yikes!!!

Suffice to say people have not been smashing down the doors at Volkswagen dealerships to buy one. The short wheelbase version of the ID. Buzz is doing okay in Europe, where it is used primarily as a commercial vehicle and in taxi service. It is smaller than many traditional delivery trucks, which makes it suitable for deliveries in Europe’s congested cities.

Volkswagen Looking Back To Move Forward

The gestation period for the ID. Buzz began way back in 2011 with the Bulli, and then the Budd-e in 2016. Kyle Field wrote about the Budd-e after it was unveiled to the world at CES 2016. He reported the concept was “a zero-emissions, all-electric vehicle with an estimated range of up to 373 miles (600 kilometers) and 233 miles (375 kilometers) of EPA range.” The concept was fitted with a 101 kWh battery pack, which gives us some idea of how battery technology has changed since 2016. A 101 kWh battery today would be expected to provide a range of about 333 miles EPA — almost a third more than in 2016.

So far, the market performance of the ID. Buzz hardly justifies all the time and money the company invested to get it into production. But now, Autocar claims Volkswagen is considering a smaller version of the ID. Buzz, one that will be about the size of the Touran or the Budd-e. US residents are not familiar with that car, which was a midsize minivan/multipurpose vehicle that went into production in Germany in 2003 and sold well. It was affordable, had lots of cargo room, and had space for 5 people, which pretty much fits the definition of the ideal family vehicle.

MPV vs. SUV

Sources tell Autocar that Volkswagen is pondering whether an electric compact MPV could replace the Touran and offer families a practical alternative to larger, heavier, less efficient SUVs — like the ID. Buzz. The new model is said to be under internal review, with Volkswagen drawing inspiration from earlier concepts. One of those concepts is the 2016 Budd-e, which was based on an early version of the MEB platform that underpins the brand’s electric cars today.

Sources familiar with the project told Autocar that Volkswagen recently retrieved various MPV concepts from storage to support internal discussions and presentations exploring how their design and packaging could be adapted for a new production model. The move reflects a broader shift in thinking inside Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg headquarters in Germany, where there is renewed recognition that a dedicated family-focused MPV may still have commercial relevance, especially in the European and Chinese markets.

Although no production decision has been made, the new MPV would be positioned beneath the ID. Buzz, offering a smaller footprint, a lighter weight, and a more affordable price — qualities which have led some inside the company to described it as a modern day Type 2 Microbus. What the designers seem to be focused on is a vehicle with maximum interior room for its size. That includes short overhangs front and rear and a high roofline with sliding doors on both sides. The new Zeekr Mix is just such a vehicle, and Volkswagen may be channeling that vehicle as it develops concepts for its new electric MPV.

A No-Nonsense Vehicle

While the existing ID. Buzz targets “premium lifestyle” buyers, the new concept is said to be aimed at families seeking a “no-nonsense, high-utility electric vehicle with sliding rear doors and strong day-to-day usability.” The sliding door thing is being explored as a way to appeal to customers with a vehicle that is not an SUV.

There are plenty of Touran drivers who might want an electric version of that car, which has been highly popular in Europe for years, with more than 2.6 million copies sold. The new Zeekr Mix is proving popular in China because it comes with a sliding door on each side and flexible interior seating options. Some readers may recall the Oldsmobile Montana minivan that was one of the first to feature twin sliding doors. Of course, others may not remember the Oldsmobile brand at all, but they made some rather appealing automobiles.

Autocar says to expect the new battery electric MPV to be built either on the Volkswagen MEB+ platform or possibly the yet to be introduced SSP platform, depending on when the decision is made to put the car into production. The SSP will not be production ready until 2027 at the earliest. 2028 is more likely. Like most Volkswagen electric cars, it is expected to offer customers a choice of batteries in the 60 to 80 kWh range and both single and dual motor options.

It may even carry the Touran badge, which has a history with European motorists. Volkswagen is rumored to be moving away from the ID. branding for its electric cars. It has built up a lot of brand equity in model names such as Golf and Passat. It may choose to leverage the reputation of those cars with brand names that resonate with buyers more strongly than ID does.

The MPV is a risk for Volkswagen. Admittedly, the all-purpose take on the minivan is one or the most practical designs ever created. I have friends who drive a Honda Odyssey with dual sliding doors and it is brilliant at getting people and stuff in and out easily. There was a time when the minivan ruled the automotive world, and with good reason — there was no other vehicle that could do what it could.

Minivans are practical to the max, but they aren’t sexy. Also, they don’t have all-wheel drive and you can’t load your mountain bikes and kayaks in one like you can in a pickup truck. They got saddled with the “soccer mom” label and that pretty much killed the MPV/minivan vibe. That’s a shame, really. They were great vehicles for families — smaller than a van, larger than a sedan. If Volkswagen can resurrect that vehicle segment, that would be a good thing.

Lots of people might enjoy a trimmer, more nimble, and less expensive vehicle. If Volkswagen builds it, will the customers come? We imagine that is precisely the question being tossed around inside the Volkswagen boardroom at the moment, and we would love to hear what our readers have to say on that subject.