In October 2023, Volkswagen SA quietly registered 4 units of the ID.Buzz Cargo. Since this electric LCV is not (yet) on sale locally, we decided to find out why these units were imported…
When sifting through Naamsa’s detailed sales statistics for October 2023, we noticed Volkswagen Group South Africa had quietly registered 4 units of the ID.Buzz Cargo, despite the fact this fully electric light-commercial vehicle (LCV) is not currently offered in the local market.
Curious about the arrival of these units, we asked the German firm’s local division for some clarity on the matter. A VW Group South Africa spokesperson told Cars.co.za the vehicles “have been brought into SA for tests by our partners and later media”.
Of course, eagle-eyed motoring enthusiasts might have spotted an ID.Buzz Cargo on display (alongside the likewise battery-powered ID.4) at the Naamsa-organised SA Auto Week, which was held at Gallagher Convention Centre in Gauteng earlier in October.
So, who are the “partners” VW mentions? Well, according to CleanTechnica, Volkswagen SA’s commercial division has teamed up with global logistics giant DHL, which will run the 4 units in its South African fleet as part of a pilot project. The publication says the ID.Buzz Cargo models will be spread between DHL’s operations in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban for 6 months and used for a “specialised last-mile courier service”.
The ID.Buzz Cargo was revealed in March 2022 alongside the 5-seater passenger version (known simply as the ID.Buzz, which we recently drove in Germany). In 2023, a long-wheelbase 7-seater model was revealed for the North American market. For the record, the ID.Buzz Cargo has a wheelbase of 2 988 mm, while the vehicle’s overall length is listed as 4 712 mm.
In Europe, the ID.Buzz Cargo is offered with a 77 kWh battery pack providing current to a 150 kW electric motor driving the rear axle (with a claimed single-charge range of up to 425 km). The electric LCV can be specified with either 2 or 3 seats up front, while a fixed partition separates the passenger area from the cargo space (which the Wolfsburg-based firm says can take 2 euro pallets, loaded transversely).
Though VW has yet to confirm the ID.Buzz range for South Africa, it’s looking increasingly likely to arrive as the 2nd fully electric product from the German automaker, after the aforementioned ID.4.
Related content
VW ID.Buzz (2023) International Launch Drive
