Skip to main content

VW Casts Doubt on I.D. Buzz’s Chances at Production

Early this year, Volkswagen revealed the electric I.D. Buzz and the coverage since then has been about the microbus lookalike’s chances of making it to dealer showrooms. And so far, the company has been bullish about the concept’s chances. Now, though, there’s inevitable doubt being cast on its chances.

“We have to be a little bit reasonable,” said Matthias Erb, Volkswagen of America’s Chief Engineering Officer, speaking at the New York International Auto Show. “Would we revive the MPV segment?”

Erb was referring to the fact that the van has been replaced by the SUV in the American imagination, so an electric van, no matter how nostalgic and charming, would be fighting against the tides of buyer preferences.

And despite Volkswagen’s conviction that the MEB platform will allow economies of scale to lower the price of developing electric cars, they won’t be reduced enough to allow for a flop.

Another concern, as Keith Martin of Sports Car Market points out, is whether or not the cultural fascination with mircobuses will last. Although prices are high now, the microbus market has historically been much more volatile than, say, the classic Beetle market. As a result, by the time the Buzz makes it to showrooms, it may be too late to cash in on the fad.

That said, Erb admits that he and the rest of the VW love the concept and want it to become a reality. The automotive media, too, has been supportive of it, so if there was ever a chance for VW to make a risky decision, this is it.

All of this uncertainty is reflected in VW’s plans for how it will release its electric vehicles. In North America it plans to have two waves of releases between 2019 and 2025. Each will be comprised of three cars, none of which is the I.D. Buzz. Instead, the Buzz sits alone, between the waves, in a sort of limbo.

The post VW Casts Doubt on I.D. Buzz’s Chances at Production appeared first on VWVortex.



from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2pxtXZE
via IFTTT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Project SportWagen: Going Stage 2 with APR

    When we last left you, the humble little SportWagen was fresh from the development process with our friends at AWE Tuning, sporting a new downpipe, exhaust and intake, allowing things to breathe a bit easier.  The car sounded great, but there was no getting around the fact that our wagon was still quite, well, slow.   While we realize that nothing we do to the Golf SportWagen at this point will make it a race car, we still felt compelled to do something .  To put it bluntly, we had a fever, and the only cure was more power. Flash forward a few hours, and we found ourselves at Waterfest, staring down APR’s palatial spread and the numerous tuned vehicles surrounding it.  Earlier in the year, APR had hinted to us that their 1.8 TSI files would be quite impressive, and based on what they were able to do with the 2.0 TSI found in the new GTI and our time in their Golf R, we knew it’d be worth the wait.  So with this in mind, we lined our G...

Volkswagen’s Gone to California with Grand California Camper

Volkswagen is bringing the California XXL concept to production. It will debut at the Dusseldorf Caravan Salon as the Grand California. It’s set to be based on the medium wheelbase Crafter van. That’s the company’s full-size commercial van, larger than the T6 Transporter based California. The high roof means room for adults to stand up, though it won’t get the concept’s extended length. The Grand California offers a full wet bathroom. It’s not exactly spacious, though, measuring in at around 31.5 x 33-inches. A toilet, shower, and sink are all crammed into that space, but at least there are motion sensor lights to stop you from reaching for a switch. Standard, the Grand California it comes with berths for two adults. Space for two children is optional, but they’ll be stuck in a berth amove the driver’s area. The kitchen offers a sink, stove, and two fridges. The front seats swivel to add seating space when the RV is parked. It’s also got solar panels, an integrated satellite dish,...

Audi Teases A7 Details with New Video

Audi’s gearing up to unveil the latest iteration of the A7, and to get you excited they’ve released this teaser video focusing on the details. The lights, the lines, the interior are all teased here, and though on its own the video doesn’t give us a strong sense of what the whole car will look like, with all of the other details we’ve seen so far we now have a pretty good sense of what’s coming. As you might expect, the updated A7 will look broadly similar to the outgoing A7, but will differ in the details. Based on what we’ve seen, the changes look good. As was reported yesterday, we’re expecting a 3.0-liter turbocharged engine, a 4.0-liter V8 twin-turbo, a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, and an RS7 that could reportedly make up to 700 hp thanks to the Porsche Panamera’s hybrid drivetrain. We’ll know for sure, though, on Thursday, October 19, when the car is revealed. You can watch the livestream on our site or at audi.com at 2:00 pm. The post Audi Teases A7 Details with New Video app...