It might be a cute family bus and stylish panel van alternative, but the Volkswagen ID Buzz range packs a punch that make it a super usable electric vehicle for a wide range of drivers.
The medium electric van pays homage to the iconic VW Microbus while offering zero-emission driving with either the Volkswagen ID Buzz passenger version or as the Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo.
Whichever version you've got, or are looking at buying, we're here to help understand not only the ID Buzz range but also the battery size and the ID Buzz's chargine speeds.
For such a compact vehicle the ID Buzz packs a lot of battery under the skin which gives it an impressive overall range.
59 kWh battery: This is the entry-level battery for the ID Buzz Cargo range, and the starting point for the range in Commerce trim level. The smallest battery gives a claimed range of 201 miles (323km).
77 kWh battery: The standard ID. Buzz is equipped with a usable battery capacity of 77 kWh. The official WLTP-rated range is up to 258 miles (415km). This is the standard battery size for the vans.
86 kWh Battery: A long-wheelbase version of the people mover, often referred to as the ID Buzz LWB model, is available with a larger battery. This version has a usable battery capacity of 86 kWh and a WLTP-rated range of up to 293 miles (471km).
While the WLTP test does give a good indication of the overall distance an electric van can travel, it's not the best guide compared to actually experiencing it in the real world.
Our testing of both the smallest 59kWh battery in the van, and the 86kWh battery in the LWB people mover suggests that you'll be looking at around 80% of the claimed range as a minimum. Heavily laden, the ID Buzz energy consumption tends to suffer, despite its rounded and more aerodynamic shape than your traditional van.
With a fully laden LWB van, packed with camping gear and people we barely managed 2.6 miles per kW, giving the 86kWh battery a range of just over 210 miles.
There are three battery options for the ID Buzz range, however, there's just two options for the Cargo and two options for the people mover.
The middle battery, a 77kWh pack, is shared by both models, but the range starts with a 59kWh battery for the Cargo variant.
LWB models of the ID Buzz get the added space required to fit in a larger 86kWh battery.
59kWh battery: Exclusive to the ID Buzz Cargo
77kWh battery: Shared with the ID Buzz and ID Buzz Cargo
86kWh battery: Available only in the long-wheelbase version of the ID Buzz people carrier.
The ID Buzz gets a wide range of charging capabilities, depenign on the model, with different batteries chargins at different rates.
AC Charging: All ID Buzz models have an 11 kW onboard charger. This is the supply used for a three-phase connection with a full charge from 0-100% taking around 8 hours and 15 minutes for the 77 kWh battery. Using a 7kW wallbox, the same battery will likely take around 12 hours. The smaller 59kWh battery will also take around 8 hours to charge on a 7kW single phase supply.
DC Fast Charging: The ID Buzz supports a peak DC charging rate of up to 185 kW for the Cargo model and up to 200 kW for the LWB variant.
