Volkswagen's ID. Buzz electric minivan is inspired by which classic VW model?

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz electric minivan is inspired by the Volkswagen Type 2.

The Type 2—often called the Microbus, Transporter, or simply the Volkswagen Bus—became one of the most recognizable vehicles of the postwar era. Its boxy shape, friendly front end, two-tone paint schemes, and association with camping and counterculture made it an obvious reference point for Volkswagen’s modern electric minivan.

Volkswagen first previewed the electric idea as a concept at the 2017 North American International Auto Show. The production ID. Buzz was unveiled in March 2022, with manufacturing beginning in June. It uses Volkswagen Group’s modular MEB electric-vehicle platform and is offered in passenger and Cargo versions.

The ID. Buzz is not a direct mechanical continuation of the classic van. The Type 2 used an internal-combustion engine and a rear-engine layout in its early generations, while the ID. Buzz was designed as a modern battery-electric vehicle. The name “Buzz” combines a reference to the old “Bus” nickname with the sound associated with electric power.