If you’re searching for something that looks like nothing else on the highway, and is zero-emission, then your search is over.
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz Cargo’s stand-out retro styling echoing that of the very first Transporter is enough to win it a round of applause on its own. When added to its environmental credentials, it makes VW’s new offering a winner.
Its virtues are such that it won the What Van? Electric Van of the Year award for 2023 against some stiff competition.
The rear-wheel drive newcomer is not part of the VW/Ford product-sharing deal, and what you see is what you get. As things stand, there are apparently no plans to introduce a long-wheelbase version, which makes for a somewhat restricted range.
Power comes courtesy of an electric motor delivering 150kW/204hp – a lot of punch for a light commercial of its size – backed by a 77kWh 12-module lithium-ion battery pack.
A single-speed transmission is standard and a switch on a steering column stalk allows you to select D for Drive, R for Reverse and N for Neutral. The B setting delivers increased regeneration.
Two specification levels are offered – Commerce and the more-upmarket Commerce Plus. We opted for the latter.
Load bay
Access to the load area is by means of a sliding door on each side of the body plus a pair of sturdy-looking back doors that can be swung through 90°.
You can push them through 180° if you press the little yellow levers that release the stays. The rear offside door boasts a holder for the warning triangle and a shelf for the medical kit.
The doors open to reveal a 3.9m3 cargo bay with no less than ten tie-down points; more than sufficient for a load area of this capacity.
Slim wheel boxes allow the most to be made of the available space, which is well protected against minor damage by a mixture of plastic and hardboard panels. A tailored cover protects the floor.
A full-height plastic bulkhead divides the cargo area from the cab and it’s good to see a 12V power point.
Interior and equipment
For your money you get satellite navigation, air-conditioning, a reversing camera with reversing sensors, a DAB radio, Bluetooth compatibility and smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Virtually all the functions are controlled by a user-friendly 10in colour touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard. It is at the heart of the Discover Pro navigation and infotainment system with Streaming
and Internet.
VW has unfortunately also fitted its annoyingly fiddly audio and ventilation control touch sliders, which it would do well to scrap.
Useful facilities include a 12V power point and a USB socket. You will find two more USB ports on the smartphone tray to the left of the height-adjustable leatherette-wrapped steering wheel – the heated driver’s seat is height-adjustable too – plus one on the passenger door.
Our demonstrator was additionally equipped with an optional 230V socket on the passenger seat frame.
A dashboard display gives you the remaining range and the level of charge left in the battery.
Electric windows and heated, power-adjustable and power-folding exterior mirrors are fitted and the parking brake engages and disengages automatically.
There isn’t really enough space for three seats in a cab of this size.
The middle passenger’s legroom is limited and shoulder room is restricted for everybody when all three seats are occupied. When no passengers are being carried, however, it is easy for the driver to slide across the cab and step out on the pavement side in safety.
Storage facilities include a large, deep shelf on top of the fascia split into three sections, a roomy lockable glovebox with a shelf above, and two bins in each of the doors.
One of the bins on the driver’s door played host to a miniature removable waste bin. Or dare we suggest it is really meant to be an ashtray?
You’ll find a cup holder at each end of the fascia while a cup holder on a shelf at the bottom of the middle of the dashboard helps ensure that the centre passenger won’t go thirsty.
The ID. Buzz Cargo gets the latest version of Travel Assist, which combines Adaptive Cruise Control with a speed limiter and Lane Keep Assist. The list of safety systems also includes Intelligent Speed Assist, Driver Alert System, and Autonomous Emergency Braking Front Assist with Pedestrian and Cyclist Monitoring.
Other intelligent functions include Car2X, which warns of hazards you might encounter on your journey. Driver and passenger front, side and curtain airbags provide some protection if there is a collision.
Available too – if you wish to register for them – are We Connect and We Connect Plus, which connects your smartphone with your van when you are some distance away. Our van came with optional wireless smartphone charging.
Services provided by We Connect include the ability to see where your
van is parked. Opt for We Connect Plus and you can set a departure time to ensure your plugged-in vehicle is charged up prior to your first job of the day.
The ID. Buzz Cargo Commerce Plus sits on 19in-alloy wheels shod with different sizes of Continental EcoContact 6Q tyre front (235/55 R19) and back (255/50 R19). It’s the first time we’ve ever encountered such a set-up on a light commercial and we’re not sure we’re keen on it.
The tyres are watched over by a pressure monitoring system, and an inflator and sealer are provided in case there is a puncture.
Powertrain
With a keyless start, the ID. Buzz Cargo uses the same electric drive platform that underpins VW’s ID.3. ID.4 and ID.6 cars. Its motor is integrated into the back axle and delivers 310Nm from a standing start.
The battery can be charged from 5% to 80% of its capacity in around 30 minutes using a 170kW DC fast-charging system says VW. If you are charging from a three-phase 11kW AC wallbox then it will take 7.5 hours, increasing to 11 hours if you are using a 7kW AC wallbox.
The charging points are under a flap at the rear of the vehicle’s offside and the vehicle is supplied with a Mode 3 Type 2 32A 6m charging cable.
A dashboard display tells you how long it will be before the battery achieves 100% charge.
Driving
Bar a modest amount of wind and tyre noise, the ID. Buzz Cargo is almost eerily quiet, and VW’s meticulous build standards mean that nothing squeaks, creaks, groans or rattles. It handles well too, with zero body roll – integrating the battery into the floor means a low centre of gravity – although there were occasions when we felt the steering could deliver a bit more feedback.
As with so many light commercials, the ride is choppy when unladen, but grew calmer as we put more weight in the back.
There is no shortage of performance should you choose to exploit it, but the harder you press the accelerator pedal, the faster you deplete the level of charge in the battery and the van’s range.
Not that we suffered from range anxiety.
Departing with the battery fully-charged, we drove the ID. Buzz Cargo from Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire to Bath and back, a round trip of 130 miles.
When we got back to base, we had 109 miles of range left and the battery had 40% of its charge remaining. We did not stop to recharge the battery during the journey; there was no need to.
Admittedly the weather was mild, and we were lightly-laden. Cold weather and a heavy load would eat into the range.
We were happy with the level of capability we experienced though, and feel that ID.Buzz Cargo is perfectly able to handle short and medium-distance work without any need to plug it in en route.
Predicted official combined WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) range is 254 miles.
One aspect of the vehicle we found a little bit disconcerting involved low-speed manoeuvring. The driver sits a long way back from the heated windscreen – 68cm back to be precise – and there were times when we wondered where the van’s nose was.
Not that we were unduly worried. Front parking sensors are standard and Commerce Plus trim gets you Park Assist Plus with Memory Function, which can manoeuvre the vehicle into and out of tight parking spaces.
Front and rear body overhangs are minimal, and the turning circle is a tight 11.1m.
Operating
The ID. Buzz Cargo is protected by a three-year/100,000-mile warranty, with breakdown assistance for the entire duration. An eight-year 100,000-mile warranty covers the battery.
The paintwork is warranted for three years and the vehicle is covered by a 12-year anti-perforation corrosion warranty.
Service intervals are set at two years, with no mileage limit. It is worth noting that software updates for the infotainment, battery charging and driver assistance systems can be uploaded over-the-air without the need to take the van to a dealership.
LEDs are used to illuminate the load area and both they and the LED headlights and rear lights should last a long time.
Our test van was optionally equipped with intelligent headlights under the IQ.Light banner. LEDs are automatically activated to deliver the best light for the prevailing conditions in a split second, providing for example a wide beam with the focus on the sides if the van is being driven through a city centre.
At the same time, however, VW has neglected something more basic. There are no side rubbing strips to protect the body from minor damage; a pity given that our van was finished in a fetching shade of metallic yellow.
Metallic paint is an extra-cost option. VW should really include it without charge given the van’s high price.
Volkswagen ID.Buzz Cargo Commerce Plus
Price (ex VAT) £43,875**
Price range (ex VAT) £39,625-£43,875**
Gross payload 592kg
Load length 2232mm
Load width (min/max) 1230mm/1732mm
Load bay height 1276 mm
Load volume 3.9m3
Loading height 623mm
Rear door aperture 1,217mm x 1,257mm
Side door aperture 756mm x 1,092mm
Gross vehicle weight 3000kg
Braked/unbraked trailer towing weight 1,000kg/750kg
Residual value 41.1%*
Cost per mile 58.05p
Engine size/power 150kW (204hp) electric motor
Torque 310Nm
Gearbox 1sp
Range (WLTP combined) 254 miles
Battery 77kWh
Warranty 3yrs/100,000 miles (battery 8yrs/100,000 miles)
Service intervals 2yrs/unlimited mileage
Insurance group TBA
Price as tested £46,755.83
* After 48 months/20,000 miles p.a – source – KWIKcarcost
** Basic price before VAT, On The Road costs, and government Plug-in Van Grant
Options
Metallic paint £862.50
IQ.Light package £1,340
Charging cable, mode 2 Type 2 (10A) £158.33
Wireless charging for mobile devices £180
230V outlet on passenger seats £340
Rivals
Maxus eDeliver 3
Price range from (ex VAT) £34,000**
Load volume 4.8m3
Gross payload 865-905kg
Electric motor 90kW
Verdict: A little larger than the ID.Buzz Cargo, and offering customers the choice of two different battery packs, the eDeliver 3 is imported as a chassis cab as well as in panel van guise. Well worth a look if you need more cargo space than the VW offers, and the 200-mile-plus range predictions made by the manufacturer seem to be accurate.
Peugeot e-Partner
Price range (ex VAT) £32,385-£34,840**
Load volume 3.3-3.8m3
Gross payload 751-803kg
Electric motor 100kW
Verdict: Sensibly-conceived for the most part, it rides and handles well, but is a little
behind some of its key rivals so far as range between recharges is concerned. Bear in mind that the same model is marketed by Citroën as the e-Berlingo, by Fiat Professional
as the E-Doblo, by Vauxhall as the Combo-e and by Toyota as the Proace City Electric.
Renault Kangoo Van E-Tech
Price range (ex VAT) £30,600-£33,100**
Load volume 3.3-4.2m3
Gross payload 608-764kg
Electric motor 90kW
Verdict: Not long revivified under the E-Tech banner, the battery Kangoo features many of the upgrades found on conventionally-powered versions of this revamped Renault. It also delivers more power and a better range between recharges than the previous model thanks to increased battery capacity. Both Mercedes-Benz’s Citan and Nissan’s Townstar use the same platform.
The Final Verdict
Design 9/10 – Unique is an overused word, but appropriate in this case. There’s nothing quite like it
Cabin 7/10 – Fiddly heating and ventilation controls are a real annoyance
Ride 7/10 – Choppy when unladen but steadily improves the more weight you put on board
Refinement 9/10 – Eerily quiet and nothing squeaks or creaks thanks to exemplary build quality
Load area 8/10 – Easy to access with plenty of tie-down points, but payload capacity is modest
Handling/performance 8/10 – Better steering feedback would be appreciated but the van packs plenty of punch
Engine/transmission 8/10 – Range delivered makes this van a good proposition for local and medium-range trips
Standard equipment 9/10 – Commerce trim gives you most of what you will need, with a stress on safety
Operating costs 7/10 – Long service intervals and a decent warranty help counterbalance price
What Van? subjective rating 8/10 – A lot to like in this distinctive package, but front-end invoice may make buyers wonder
