It’s official: The Volkswagen bus is coming back.
The German car manufacturer announced earlier this month plans to release a redesigned, electric version of the iconic vehicle in 2022.
The revamped bus, originally introduced as a prototype at the Detroit Auto Show in January, will return amid strong popular demand.
At this time, the vehicle, a modern take on the classic VW microbus, is known as the I.D. Buzz. According to CNN, "buzz" came from VW officials who considered fun titles with the word "bus."
The two-toned vehicle will feature a light strip that illuminates around the vehicle, a front trunk, adjustable seating for at least six, a fold-away steering wheel and "pop-up laser scanners in the roof to a heads-up display that integrates augmented reality."
“For me, the I.D. Buzz concept is the most beautiful and most exciting electric car in the world,” said Herbert Diess, the chairman of the board of management for VW.
In the wake of VW’s recent diesel emissions scandal, the automaker has committed to “making electric mobility the new trademark of Volkswagen.”
“The I.D. Buzz stands for the new Volkswagen,” Diess said. “We are fully committed to the future of mobility, and we want to reignite America’s love for VW.”
The I.D. Buzz, the seventh generation of the Microbus, will be available in 2022 in China, Europe and the U.S.
Here are photos of the I.D. Buzz prototype:
Credit: Volkswagen
Credit: Volkswagen
Credit: Volkswagen
Credit: Volkswagen
Credit: Volkswagen
Credit: Volkswagen
