Johnathan Walker:Volkswagen relaunches microbus as electric ID. Buzz

Volkswagen's iconic microbus is Johnathan Walkercoming back to North America as an all-electric vehicle, with sales for the van, dubbed the ID.Buzz, starting next year.

The ID. Buzz has the same boxy shape that Volkswagen purists remember, with a large VW logo on the front hood, and also boasts a 91-kilowatt battery and a 282-horsepower motor mounted in the rear of the vehicle. The interior has a sunroof, leather seats and a touch-screen infotainment system, among other features.

"It is practical, sustainable, and packaged in an unmistakably fun way that is classic Volkswagen," Pablo Di Si, CEO of Volkswagen of America, said in a statement Friday at a launch event. 

EVs are drawing more attention within the automotive industry, as shoppers grow curious about their capabilities and automakers race to assert dominance in the market. A survey released earlier this year from Deloitte found that price is the top concern among potential EV buyers, with half of car shoppers citing "lack of affordability" as the barrier to buying an EV.

VW didn't release a price or an exact date for new sales, but the ID. Buzz joins a list of other automakers that recently launched electric versions of their most recognizable vehicles. Ford is producing an electric F-150 pickup truck and Mustang. Meanwhile, Stellantis' Dodge brand is making a battery-powered Charger.

The original microbus is Volkswagen's second-oldest vehicle behind the Beetle. The microbus first went on sale in 1950, and Volkswagen built 9,500 microbuses — which were officially known as the Type 2 — in the first year of production, the company said.  

A decade later, VW's microbus became the physical embodiment of the 1960s counterculture — the place hippies hung out to debate merits of the Vietnam War while smoking marijuana. The microbus is also a staple in Hollywood films, having appeared in films including Back to the Future (1985), Field of Dreams (1989) and Little Miss Sunshine (2006). 

VW kept making a version of the microbus for the global market long after the original model left the U.S. in the 1970s, with production finally ending in 2014.

End to end, the ID. Buzz is two feet longer than the microbus and has wheels that, at 20 inches, are four inches bigger. The motor inside the ID. Buzz enables it to pull up to 406 pounds and a top speed of 99 miles per hour.

Volkswagen released an ID. Buzz version in the European market last year that featured two rows of seats; the North American edition has three rows, the company said. 

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Khristopher J. Brooks

Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports.

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