By Dumi Xaba

It’s common knowledge that there is growing resistance to the continued use of fossil fuel. Car manufacturers are doing all they can to prepare themselves for when fossil fuel becomes obsolete.
The fear to be caught napping has seen car makers go on overdrive – coming up with hydrogen and electricity-powered vehicles… the future of mobility.
Tesla has been leading the way in producing electrically powered vehicles. This has had ripple effects that even old school vehicle manufactures are investing heavily on hydrogen and electrically powered technology. VW is one such company.
It has ramped up its technology such that companies like Mahindra rely on the tech for their own battery powered production models. One of the VW battery-powered vehicles is the VW ID Buzz.
VW has been torturing all car enthusiasts with teasers of the Kombi sibling for the past five years. Finally, we got to see what the VW ID Buzz looks like.
We are told it has been completely taken off fossil fuel…the ID Buzz is totally electricity-powered.
Most of the teasers we received were actually concept versions – the production version is a bit toned down. The clever design has taken the car back to its origins; well, minus the large engine at the front. It bears a naughty welcoming front grin. It has a futuristic look while carrying the 1950 Types 2 VW Microbus DNA.
As some of us know, the VW Kombi is a classic and icon which, a car museum is incomplete without – resurrecting it and combining it with futuristic looks was an act of genius. It set the internet ablaze upon the first announcement.
The iconic T1 was an in-thing around the 60s, you would know if you are a dinosaur like me. Several models have followed in its footsteps but none could quite fill those shoes.
The VW Caravelle almost came close but not quite. It lost some of that happy mood street cred hype.
It has always been a market priority of VW to resuscitate the recipe with several hit and miss attempts.
The trick is to balance the introduction with something as spectacular as the T2 sibling. If the studio photos and European test results are to be relied on, they might just have found the winning recipe.
What we know so far
It is boxy like the original celebrity T1. The body is compact – there has been some weight-shedding.
VW has been toying around with the two-tone paint for some years and the ID Buzz will retain that tradition. The semi triangular LED lights are stunning, especially in studio pictures taken in the dark.
The individual LED fog light sets it apart from anything you have seen before. Like most EVs, the interior is clutter free and stunning. The 10-inch LED screen (12 inch is optional) which comes standard with navigation function blends quite well with the dash. The Euro spec length is 4,712 mm with a height of 1,937mm and the width is 1,985mm. The front seat comes with adjustable arm rests and two-tone interior.
The launch vehicle is a 5-seater. However, VW has promised a 6-seater in the later life cycle of the ID Buzz.
The centre airbag is a new feature to protect passengers in a collision. The back seat is a bench seat. Non animal material can be ordered as an option for those who are sensitive about the wellbeing of creatures.
The Euro spec comes powered by a 154kw and 310N.m battery motor. The actual performance figures from this power train including battery range have not yet been officially disclosed.
You have an option that allows reverse charging. As such, you can power some appliances with electricity from your EV. The wheels enhance the I-have-arrived appearance on this vehicle.
VW is a bit reluctant to announce if we would be getting one in the near future or if it will be one of those cars that remain stuck on our wish lists.
If it does come to South Africa, one has to strike a balance between making a decision to save on fuel or be caught wanting during load-shedding. It takes roughly 53 minutes to fully charge the batteries.
The Euro spec is priced at around £58 000 which is just a rev shy of R1 million.