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Home / News / VW Microbus coming back to life as ID Buzz electric hippy van in March

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VW Microbus coming back to life as ID Buzz electric hippy van in March

Get ready to take a trip

James Laird James Laird
A concept image of the VW ID Buzz, an electric van inspired by the Microbus

Volkswagen has a treat in store for classic car enthusiasts this spring, after the German auto maker announced that it was set to reveal a production-ready version of its electric VW Microbus reboot this spring – otherwise known as the ID Buzz.

Company CEO Herbert Diess tweeted out the news, which comes five years after the idea was born as a concept car at the Detroit Auto Show. Now, it’s preparing to finally hit the factory line ahead of being released in full in 2023.

The ID Buzz is a clear homage to the famous VW Microbus, which was officially in production between 1950 and 1980. The height of its popularity was in the 60s and 70s, though, when it became an iconic part of the hippy counterculture – so much so that it’s arguably best known simply as the ‘hippy van’ to this day.

In addition to no doubt helping transport future generations of festival heads to Burning Man and Glastonbury, the ID Buzz is also being used by VW as an autonomous test vehicle in the company’s native German market.

The idea there is for an eventual rollout as a commercial ride-hailing solution by 2025 – bringing a whole new meaning to the idea of ‘taking a trip’ with Uber, or maybe that’s just our warped minds.

Details are still thin on the ground when it comes to the ID Buzz’s specs, pricing and other key details, but we’d expect to learn a whole lot more on March 9.

What we do know is that the ID Buzz is one of a number of exciting new EVs planned by the manufacturer over the coming years, with the ID 3 hatchback, ID 4 crossover SUV, and ID 5 luxury SUV all in the works as well.

Profile image of James Laird James Laird Contributing Editor

About

James has been covering gadgets and other cool tech stuff for more than 10 years, most recently as the Sports and TV Streaming Editor at TechRadar. Before that, he was News and Features Editor at Trusted Reviews, where he developed a love of big phones and even bigger headlines. In his spare time, he can usually be found behaving badly on a golf course or watching the New England Patriots.