VW has yet to reveal the price of the North American ID Buzz, which will have one more row than its European counterpart, a nearly 10-inch longer wheelbase and more premium equipment. In Germany, the two-row ID Buzz starts at €54,270 ($58,420) excluding the local value-added tax. The ID Buzz Cargo starts under $51,000 before the VAT.
Di Si said he wants the dealers to make money on it, “but we cannot penalize the consumers.” Even a premium-priced launch edition is out of the question. “I don’t think people should pay more,” he said.
“We cannot make a mistake [with] this vehicle. With respect to the customer … let’s discuss it. We have a good relationship with the [dealer] network,” he said. “We cannot have markups.”
Di Si declined to say what the ID Buzz’s first-year volume target for North America is, but the plant in Hanover, Germany, that produces the vehicle has an annual capacity of 100,000. Reuters, citing an unidentified source, has reported that VW is considering building the ID Buzz in Chattanooga, where the ID4 is assembled.
The ID4 is the sole EV from a foreign automaker that qualifies for the full $7,500 in tax credits for vehicle purchases provided by the Inflation Reduction Act.
