VEHICLE NEWS
Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo is the perfect van for the city.
THE FUNKY, FULLY-ELECTRIC VAN IS FULL OF RETRO STYLING, HAS A RANGE UP TO 447KM, AND IS LOADED WITH THE LATEST TECH, WRITES MOTORING CORRESPONDENT DARREN LIGGETT… The Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo is ready to charge and turn heads
Vans used to be boring-looking work horses built for purpose, but nobody told Volkswagen. When the fully-electric ID. Buzz was first launched, it stunned with its retro styling, bright colours and car-like driving experience. Volkswagen then created a commercial version called the ID. Buzz Cargo, featuring the same funky design harking back to the iconic Type 2 Microbus of the 1950s. But instead of having seating for five like the ID. Buzz passenger variant, the van version seats a driver and two passengers up front. Then behind them is a 707kg payload and a cargo area of 3.9 cubic metres, enough to fit two Euro pallets loaded widthways. This cargo area isn’t as big as some of its rivals, but what the ID. Buzz cargo lacks in load-lugging ability, it more than makes up for in the looks department. Size-wise, it is 4,712mm long, 2,212mm wide, 1,951mm high and has a wheelbase of 2,989mm. The maximum load length to bulkhead is 2,208mm, the maximum load height is 1,279mm and the distance
between the wheel arches is 1,230mm. Plus, you can carry an additional 100kg on the roof and tow up to 1,200kg. Power comes from a 79kWh battery that drives an electric motor mounted on the back axle, so the ID. Buzz Cargo is rear-wheel drive. It produces 286bhp and 550Nm of instant electric torque sent to the rear wheels via a single- speed auto gearbox. The battery has an eight-year/160,000km warranty, and provides an official range of 447km. Charging takes 12 hours with a 7.4kW wall box, and the ID. Buzz Cargo supports DC fast charging up to 185kW, so you can go from 10-80% in just 30 minutes. Inside, the ID. Buzz comes fully loaded with up to a 12.9in touchscreen infotainment system, smartphone connectivity, wireless charging and auto climate control as standard. The comprehensive safety package includes adaptive cruise control, stop and go with speed limiter, park assist- plus, rear-view camera, and side, lane and emergency assist. Electrically-
operated side doors can be opened and closed via buttons on the dash or by the key fob. Five USB-C charging ports in the cabin include one at the top of the windscreen that’s perfect for connecting to a dash cam. There’s also a 12v port on the dash plus a three-pin 240v socket under the passenger seat, handy for charging power tools. The ID. Buzz Cargo starts from €51,350 after the SEAI Grant is deducted, to €54,545 for the Cargo Plus. In Northern Ireland, the lineup includes the ID. Buzz Cargo Commerce and Cargo Commerce Plus with 4Motion, all-wheel drive versions of each available. Battery options include a 59kWh pack providing 170bhp and a 77kWh pack with outputs from 286bhp or 340bhp for the 4Motion variants. UK prices start from £36,960 ex-VAT up to £45,150 ex-VAT for the range- topping 79kWh 4Motion model. www.volkswagenvans.ie/ www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk
90 | IRELAND’S ELECTRICAL MAGAZINE
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