ID. BUZZ – world premiere

North American International Auto Show – Detroit 2017

Key facts – the I.D. BUZZ in keywords

1. More safety and comfort: the I.D. BUZZ concept vehicle is the first fully autonomously driving van with an electric drive.
2. The distances of today's gasoline-powered cars: up to 600 kilometers, or 270 miles (AER driving range).
3. Makes statement about a new era of drive systems. Design of I.D. BUZZ gives electric mobility a new face.
4. Two luggage compartments and maximum flexibility: thanks to electric drive system I.D. BUZZ is a space wonder with seating for up to eight.
5. Focus on people: in the fully autonomous "I.D. Pilot" driving mode, the driver's seat can be turned 180 degrees to face the rear.
6. Traction in any terrain: electric all-wheel drive with two motors and 275 kW / 374 PS of system power.
7. Icon of a new era: concept vehicle carries Microbus feeling over to the future.
8. Optimally in driver's visual field: Head-up Display projects information via augmented reality.
9. Steering wheel with capacitive touchpad is now the touch-sensitive steering wheel: the van's main functions are controlled from the steering wheel.
10. Can also be used outside of the I.D. BUZZ: flexible center console with tablet display and Bluetooth loudspeakers from Beats.

I.D. BUZZ – world premiere of zero-emission van in Detroit

The era of electric mobility has begun. And Volkswagen will be shaping it: with the I.D. BUZZ that Volkswagen is now presenting at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS, January 8 - 22) in Detroit – a Microbus of a new era. In its design, the electric concept van forges links between the legendary origins of the Volkswagen brand and its electrifying future. The I.D. BUZZ, like the I.D., is another new Volkswagen vehicle that will give a face to electric mobility. These are cars whose thoroughly clear design reflects a transformation – of the brand and its models. Dr. Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management for the Volkswagen brand: "The Volkswagen brand's big electric offensive begins in the year 2020 with a completely new vehicle architecture. That is when we will be launching an entirely new generation of fully connected, all-electric vehicles on the market. By 2025 we want to be selling one million of these vehicles annually. We are making electric mobility the new trademark of Volkswagen."

Volkswagen is showing just how multifaceted the electric mobility of tomorrow could be in Detroit with the I.D. BUZZ concept vehicle – a space wonder with all-wheel drive, electric motors at the front and rear axles, a fully-autonomous driving mode ("I.D. Pilot") and a new generation of display elements and controls.

New bus, new name. The name "I.D. BUZZ" is indeed a made-up word, but it was hardly an arbitrary choice. I.D. stands for "Identity," "Idea," "Individual," "Intelligent" and "Iconic Design". BUZZ, on the other hand, is a phonetic word play on "bus" and refers to the silent "buzzing" of the drive system. This all fits in perfectly with the technologically progressive and design-focused concept of the concept vehicle.

Travel up to 600 kilometers. Charge while drinking a cappuccino. Then the journey continues.

First autonomously driving van. "The I.D. BUZZ is a van of the next generation. It is based on the new Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB), and it offers comfort and plenty of space for travel. Its NEDC electric driving range is up to 600 kilometers (270 miles / AER) ," says Dr. Frank Welsch, Volkswagen Member of the Board of Management responsible for Development. The I.D. BUZZ is recharged with energy either inductively or at a charging station. It takes less than 30 minutes to charge the battery to 80 percent capacity at a charging power of 150 kW. Dr. Welsch continues: "The overall concept of the I.D. BUZZ points the way to the future. This concept vehicle is the world's first multi-variable electric van to be equipped with a fully autonomous driving mode. It carries the feeling of freedom of the Microbus over to a completely new era of mobility."

As a vehicle of a new era, the I.D. BUZZ does in fact conceptually redefine the parameters of "drive system", "space" and "comfort". Some facts that showcase this:

• Extremely long wheelbase of 3,300 mm.
• Front body structure which, along with offering top safety properties, also enables a wide turning angle of the front wheels and – in combination with the steerable rear axle – a very small turning circle of less than 11 meters.
• Low-profile lithium-ion battery integrated in the floor reinforces the basic vehicle structure, lowers the vehicle's center of gravity, produces ideal axle load distribution and low lateral acceleration.
• Front suspension has stiff, decoupled subframe and integrated all-wheel drive.
• Multi-link rear suspension has integrated drive unit and decoupled subframe at rear axle.
• Suspension layout offers optimal handling and ideal acoustics.
• Air suspension at the rear axle and electronically controlled dampers at both axles deliver maximum comfort.
• Wheels 780 mm in diameter and 235/45 R22 tires offer optimal ride comfort.

"I.D. Pilot" driving mode offers outlook on the year 2025

Fully autonomous driving functionality. It has been just four months since Volkswagen presented a smaller sibling of the I.D. BUZZ at the Paris International Motor Show: the I.D. It too was revolutionary – a compact electric car that will launch in 2020 with driving ranges of up to 600 kilometers: it is the first car based on the MEB that will go into production, and the first Volkswagen concept car that can drive fully autonomously. The new I.D. BUZZ is now the first van to fully enable this functionality: a slight push on the steering wheel is all it takes to make the steering wheel retract to merge into the cockpit instrument panel and switch the I.D. BUZZ over from manual control to the fully autonomous "I.D. Pilot" mode (conceivable starting in 2025). In this mode, the steering wheel is decoupled from the steering gear via a newly developed steering column system. Then driver will be able to turn their seats towards the rear, facing their fellow travelers. Laser scanners, ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors, area view cameras and front camera acquire information about the surroundings, and other traffic data is received via the cloud.

Information is projected into virtual space by augmented reality

Navigation with virtual symbols in a real space. The classic cockpit no longer exists in the I.D. BUZZ. In its place, the van uses its AR Head-up Display to project key information into the driver's visual field – that is, onto the road in 3D. AR stands for Augmented Reality, a technology that shows electronically generated images in real space. Other information is displayed on a tablet; features such as infotainment and climate control functions are operated via this portable tablet. There are also capacitive touchpad panels in the four door trim panels and outside of the third seat row. They are used to individually control functions such as those of the six-zone climate control system.

Steering wheel becomes touch-sensitive steering wheel. The key controls for driving are located on the steering wheel. Its inner area is not equipped with the spokes or button switches that are usual these days. Instead, it has a type of touchpad with capacitive sensor arrays – which turns the classic steering wheel into a multifunction touch-sensitive steering wheel.

Space for up to eight persons and all sorts of bikes and boards

An all-round vehicle for a new era. Space utilization of the concept vehicle with space for up to eight persons is better than in any other electric vehicle. An excursion with two families over the weekend? With the I.D. BUZZ this is no problem. A gig with the band in another city? No problem. A vacation trip with bikes and boards? No problem. Driving to a business meeting with colleagues who need to prepare on the way? This too is no problem with the multi-variable seating layout and interactive networking of the I.D. BUZZ. Thanks to the extended MEB-XL platform, this concept vehicle – 4,942 mm long, 1,976 mm wide and 1,963 mm tall – offers extraordinary space dimensions for its class inside too.

Silent Running. Nonetheless, the I.D. BUZZ is not only a space giant. Its technical concept makes it one of the world's most comfortable cars. A silent drive system. An extremely long wheelbase of 3,300 mm. In between, the battery is mounted in the vehicle floor. It lowers the vehicle's center of gravity and delivers ideal weight distribution. The suspension of the I.D. BUZZ with its electronically controlled dampers also delivers premium class comfort.

Clean dynamics with drive torque from two motors

The I.D. BUZZ is dynamic and can be charged quickly. The zero-emission all-wheel drive system with its system power of 275 kW / 374 PS is a perfect fit for the dynamic character of the I.D. BUZZ. One electric motor at the front axle and one at the rear each deliver a power output of 150 kW. The power is distributed between the two axles by an "electric propshaft". The version of the I.D. BUZZ being presented in Detroit with this drive system can accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in around 5 seconds; its top speed is governed to 160 km/h (99 mph). The van's battery (energy capacity: up to 111 kWh) can be charged to 80 percent of its capacity within 30 minutes (with the Combined Charging System (CCS) or through the inductive charging interface and a charging power of 150 kW). As an alternative, the battery can be charged from any conventional household outlet and at charging stations. The configuration with all-wheel drive is just one of several conceivable versions. Thanks to the MEB, it would be just as easy to equip the I.D. BUZZ with a rear-wheel drive producing up to 200 kW of power and a somewhat smaller battery with a capacity of 83 kWh, for instance, depending on the region and purpose of use.

Note:
Features and technical data of production models apply to models offered in Germany. Details for other countries may vary.
All performance levels, fuel efficiency and emission figures given in this press release are forecast figures as of January 2017.