Iconic VW Van Returns as an EV
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Iconic VW Van Returns as an EV

Photo by:   Pixabay, Turenhout
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Sofía Garduño By Sofía Garduño | Journalist & Industry Analyst - Fri, 03/11/2022 - 16:37

Volkswagen (VW) announced the return of its iconic van with a new version that follows the electrification of the automotive industry: the ID Buzz, which is VW’s first zero-emission vehicle to enter large scale production and aims to become a symbol of the automaker’s transformation.

 

The ID Buzz is part of the VW Way to Zero global strategy, which aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. VW is investing globally over US$100 billion in electrification and digitalization as it works to become a leader on sustainable mobility. “Driving bigger for society and the survival of this planet is not simply a strategy, it is an imperative,” said Scott Keogh, CEO, VW of America.

 

VW expects that by 2030, 50 percent of its sales in the US will be of EVs. “Reducing CO2 is possible without sacrificing our standard of living, we are still mobile with CO2-free electric cars and airplanes with synthetic fuels,” said Herbert Diess, CEO, VW.

 

The ID Buzz is “carbon neutral, flexible, spacious and cozy”, said Carsten Intra, CEO, VW Commercial Vehicles. The van debuted in two different versions: ID. Buzz e ID. Buzz Cargo. Both versions are manufactured under the VW modular electric battery platform (MEB) specifically designed for EVs. The van has an 82-kWh lithium-ion battery that feeds an electric motor of 150 kW. It can reach a maximum speed of 145 km/h. By the end of 2022 ID Buzz will start to be sold in the EU. Its arrival to Mexico has not yet been announced.

 

Mexico has the largest amount of EV sales in Latin America. Between Jan. and Nov. 2021., brands sold a total of 42,969 vehicles with electrified technologies, of which were 838 EVs, 3,013 plug-in hybrids and 39,118 hybrids. Electric or hybrid vehicles represent 4.7 percent of the total of light vehicles sold in the country. Mexico City, the State of Mexico and Nuevo Leon were the entities with the highest sales of EVs during this period. Although the popularity of EV is increasing in Mexico, normative, fiscal, non-fiscal and infrastructure incentives are still needed to accelerate transition to electromobility, as reported by the Mexican Association of the Automotive Industry (AMIA).

 

According to VW, in Mexico there are around 647 EV charging points, 68 percent of them are public and located on strategic points, such as universities or commercial centers. However, Miguel Elizalde, President, National Association for the Manufacturing of Buses, Trucks and Tractors (ANPACT), said that more work has to be done to strengthen the energy infrastructure to power EVs across the country. He also urged lawmakers to take inspiration from the leading EV markets and adopt incentives for the manufacture and purchase of these vehicles, as reported by MBN.

 

 

Photo by:   Pixabay, Turenhout

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