[ad_1]
Summary
- ID.Buzz production moved from US to Germany for cost-saving.
- Demand for ID.Buzz is high, says Volkswagen.
- German production may impact pricing, no tax credit for US buyers.
The highly anticipated, retro-cool Volkswagen ID.Buzz electric van will apparently not be built in the US like it was originally planned. According to a recent report by Automotive News Europe, the German giant finally decided to consolidate production of its battery-powered minivan at only one location for cost optimization.
ID.Buzz production will therefore remain in Germany, more specifically at Volkswagen Group’s Hanover facility, where the van has been built since its European launch in 2022. But what will this mean for US consumers? Will a German-built bus jack up prices? Volkswagen seems confident that the price will remain competitive.
2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB: Everything You Need To Know About The Minivan!
The Volkswagen ID.Buzz has been stretched and improved for the United States, but it’s going to be a long wait before you can buy one.
Very Strong Demand, But Consumers Are Becoming Impatient
I admit that the ID.Buzz is one of the coolest products to have been released in years. It should also attract new types of customers to the EV space. I’m not the only one looking forward to this thing. According to Pablo Di Si, head of VW’s American arm, demand is so high for the ID.Buzz, that the carmaker didn’t even create a reservation system for it.
Di Si told Automotive News that he believes demand for ID.Buzz will exceed supply, which could have a negative impact on delivery delays. I believe that hype. I know a few people in my direct environment that have been waiting for this thing since the original concepts were spotted out on the road.
While there’s no immediate threat of a competitor in sight that could come steal its lunch money, the ID.Buzz is nevertheless testing the patience of North-American consumers. Originally scheduled for a release this summer as a 2024 model, the van will now only arrive on our market at the end of the year as a 2025 model, as per Volkswagen.
As a reminder, the US-spec ID.Buzz will be sold uniquely as a long wheelbase model. Only one battery will power it; a 91-kWh (usable) unit, contrary to the short-wheelbase model’s 82-kWh battery. VW estimates the rear-wheel drive ID.Buzz will be good for 260 miles of range, while all-wheel drive versions will bring that number slightly down to 252 miles.
It’s obvious that German production will have an impact on the van’s price. While nothing has yet been released for the North-American market on the matter, Volkswagen is apparently currently in talks with its dealers to discuss a strategy that won’t turn consumers off.
Remember, while hip and cool, the ID.Buzz remains a minivan, a category of vehicle that generally targets middle-class families. Get the pricing wrong, and you’ll lose sales to popular affordable models like the Kia Carnival and Toyota Sienna.
“What’s the market willing to pay? What’s a fair return for the dealers? What’s a fair return for us? It needs to be balanced,” – Di Si told Automotive News.
One thing’s for certain, because it’ll be imported, the ID.Buzz won’t be eligible for the $7,500 U.S. federal tax credit for electric vehicles (EVs). This means VW will need to bank on the vehicle’s popularity to fix a price ladder that could, in the beginning, have it eat cash in the beginning to keep those orders coming in. Just by seeing how madly popular this vehicle is, something tells me that it won’t be too difficult to pull off.
[ad_2]
Source link
Related posts:
Fastest Production Cars In the World: EV Edition
Looking Into The Future Of Battery Electric Vehicles With The Society Automotive Analysts
Quebec Government Announces An End To EV Incentives, Could This Set The Stage For Other Markets?
Why Solar Panels In Tonneau Covers Are An Interesting Prospect For Electric Trucks
