ID.4

Make
Volkswagen
Segment
SUV

Five years after it was first seen as a concept, the Volkswagen ID.Buzz was finally revealed as a production-ready EV earlier this month. For fans of electric vehicles, the arrival of the battery-powered van heralds a new era of electrified motoring; previously, there was little choice for eco-minded consumers requiring an emissions-free vehicle capable of transporting myriad people and their possessions.

As such, Volkswagen has placed big expectations on the EV, with lofty sales aspirations of 120,000 units a year. This was revealed by Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of VW Passenger Cars, at the company's annual media conference. The ID.Buzz will undoubtedly strengthen the brand's already incredible sales results, with Volkswagen coming off a particularly strong 2021.

Even though the semiconductor chip crisis saw total sales fall by 6.3%, Volkswagen's EV ambitions remained unhindered, with a staggering 452,900 electric vehicles delivered across the globe. Naturally, China accounts for a large chunk of this, with 92,700 battery-powered cars heading to the land of The Red Dragon. In the US, VW managed to attain the number two position for EVs, with a total market share of 7.5%.

In fact, in its first month of sales, the affordably priced VW ID.4 managed to post fairly impressive figures within the first month of hitting showrooms. Despite the decline in global sales, revenue saw a considerable increase of 12.3%. More impressive still, earnings after tax rose by 74.8%.

"Over the past two years, we have learned to better mitigate the impact of crises on our company...our rewards were solid results and cash flows. At the same time, we made no compromise when it comes to future investments and moved ahead in becoming a sustainable, software-driven mobility provider," said Volkswagen Group CFO, Arno Antlitz.

In the near future, the ID. Buzz will undoubtedly serve to strengthen VW's ambitions of becoming a leader in the electric vehicle segment. The brand has already invested heavily in producing a new factory in Germany, designed purely to produce EVs quickly and efficiently. In 2026, production of the Trinity will commence at the state-of-the-art facility. While the pricing of the retro-styled van is yet to be revealed, it won't come cheap.

Reports indicate the base model, known as the Pure, will retail for around $65,000. Then again, it's not much more than what some manufacturers charge for a fully-loaded, ICE-powered minivan. With plenty of incredible features to enjoy, we're guessing the electric van won't have to try hard and garner interest from customers.

As VW continues its assault on the EV segment, the ID.Buzz and future offerings will undoubtedly position the brand as one a global market leader. As Brandstätter said, the battery-powered bus certainly has what it takes to become a best-seller.