There will be enough units of the Volkswagen ID. Buzz to go around, its maker says. This comes a week after the electric van was unveiled last week, which was occasion for Auto123 to test drive it. Now comes the wait for the model to arrive in dealerships. That should happen over the next few weeks.
With any new vehicle, especially an all-electric model, the question is how many will be available in the early going. Will everyone who wants one be able to get one?
There are several factors at play. For one, the high price of the model indicates – and de facto ensures – that the company has won’t be swamped with buyers. At the same, VW is saying that there will be enough models to supply the planet. Let's just say that they've planned ahead, and that production will be consistent.
Pablo Di Si, Volkswagen boss for the Americas, estimates that supply will be abundant. In fact, the assembly plant in Hanover, Germany, where the ID. Buzz will be built, has been expanded to be able to manufacture between 120,000 and 150,000 units on an annual basis.
The executive did not offer a forecast for North America, but he reiterated what had recently been stated regarding model distribution, namely that it would depend on sales of the ID.4 SUV.
In the U.S., company executives fear that some dealers will inflate prices and create a bidding war, which is not allowed in Canada.
Interestingly, it was mentioned that the number of vehicles produced will depend on the complexity of the vehicles ordered. As for demand, Pablo Di Si expects it to be very strong in the United States.
“There will be strong demand in the first 18 to 24 months,” he told the Daily Drive on its podcast. Over time, he added that special editions, such as a camping version with a pop-up roof, could help keep the model fresh.
In Canada, the ID. Buzz starts at $77,495 in two-wheel drive configuration (rear-wheel drive), while the all-wheel drive version (4Motion) is priced at $82,995.
It'll be interesting to keep an eye on.