I recently got to drive the VW ID Buzz electric Volksiebus and as you can see, it’s a contemporary Kombi, the kind of Caravelle that David Kramer would sing about. Except, there’s not a lot of noise to be had here at all. You see, it’s electric. Also, this isn’t Cape Town, it’s Braunau am Inn Austria, and we’ve just pulled in from a 128km road trip from Munich, Germany. What? Is range anxiety not a thing in Europe? Friend, I’m here to tell you that it very much is – and not, a uniquely South African problem. Yes, SA – home of load shedding but.. also home to an intrinsic love of the open road! Which brings me neatly to the VW ID Buzz – as you can see it’s a nostalgic joy. A modern take on the classic VW Bus, comfy, fairly luxurious and it’s a blast to drive.
Finding places to top up the battery however was a challenge, while not insurmountable, it does emphasise the fact that electric cars, while not necessarily the future of the automobile, certainly have their place as long as youre willing to make some adjustments in your life. The Buzz’s 77-kWh battery pack has a theorterical range of 415km but drive it with any sort of enthusiasm and you’ll see that number drop radically, and then its hello to that familiar, uncomfortable pit of your stomach anxiety as you start doing the sums between what the battery gauge on the dash says is remaining and how far Google Maps says your destination is.
I don’t mean to put you off, quite the opposite. It’s 2025 and most have us have become digital nomads, working where it suits us thanks to the always connected, remotely working nature of our jobs today. In that regard, the Buzz feels like the ideal counterpart – one that just happens to look fantastic, is capacious and premium, with the bonus of invoking a time when life was simple. The kind of car you could build a lifestyle around – from surfboards to board meetings, board shorts to short trips. And that’s pretty great. If you’re about to embark on an electrical adventure of your own, here is my one non negotiable tip!
Install a home charger. You just cannot rely on the current public charge system as you’ll have to contend with a shortage of available bays, and even then, if it’s a slow charger, it could seriously hamper your travels.
Happy road tripping