• Single 204hp electric motor
• Single-speed transmission
• Comfortably fast enough

Electric motor

There’s just one motor and battery pack combination available in the ID.Buzz at present. The battery has a 77kWh capacity, while the motor is the same 204hp unit found in the most powerful rear-wheel-drive VW ID.3 and VW ID.4 variants.

The ID.Buzz’s motor also drives the rear wheels and, as with almost every other EV on sale, it uses a simple single-speed gearbox which is located at the rear of the vehicle as well.

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Volkswagen has now confirmed that a seven-seat long-wheelbase version of the ID.Buzz will go on sale at the end of 2023 with a larger battery for increased range. An all-wheel drive model will also be added in 2024, perhaps alongside a sporty GTX variant.

What’s it like to drive?

• Rides well considering the size of the wheels
• Handling is neat and controlled
• Not exciting but very competent

The ID.Buzz gives you a safe, comfortable driving experience that inspires confidence even if it doesn’t deliver thrills.

Ride quality, though occasionally fidgety, is generally excellent for a vehicle riding on such large wheels, and the structure feels solid when challenged by abrupt bumps. Even premium electric vehicles struggle with this latter point, so the ID.Buzz’s performance is especially impressive given the big open volume of space created by the van-style body.

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What’s more, it doesn’t roll around too much in the corners – and, if you do overcook things a bit with too much speed, it’s easy to correct and continues to behave in a predictable manner. There is certainly little chance of the back end stepping out, even with the power heading to the rear wheels. The short overhangs and large steering angle mean it has a tight turning circle of 11.1m, too.

The official 10.2-second 0-62mph time is a tad deceptive. It doesn’t sound super-quick but, as an electric car that generates 310Nm of torque instantly, it can nip away from a set of traffic lights or dart onto a roundabout with decent athleticism. In fact, it can be a little jerky if you’re too forceful with the pedal.

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Once moving it will happily cruise and accelerate at fast motorway speeds. At which point you’ll be struck by how quiet it is inside. Road and tyre noise are present due mostly to the lack of other sounds, but well isolated and never intrusive, while the build quality is such that there are no vibrations or rattles.

There are no paddles behind the steering wheel, which are often used to adjust the braking resistance and resultant energy recuperation in electric vehicles. Instead, this is influenced by the driving mode (Eco, Comfort, Sport or Individual), or by putting it into the ‘B’ setting. This offers only a mild motor-braking effect, however, and is no-where near to a ‘one-pedal’ style driving format that some other EVs offer.