(By Tom Lohnes)- The Volkswagen Bus is a cultural icon. Beginning in 1950, the Bus has been a staple of practicality and utility all around the planet for 70 years now. As of recently, it has gotten quite the cult following, and even the less desirable Vanagon models of the late 70’s and 80’s have risen in price quite a bit. Volkswagen has realized that, and with their new modular EV platform decided to take advantage of the crazy demand for a new VW van and made this very new, very quirky EV. Meet the I.D Buzz.

“Buzz” is a play on “Bus”. It obviously sounds like the word, but VW made a clever name choice because electric motors make a buzzing noise. Regardless of name, the I.D Buzz will come in three versions, with two of them only being available overseas. Starting off with the I.D cargo, this 2-seat van is the perfect work vehicle for someone in the city. With 201 horsepower, rear-wheel-drive, and a giant cargo space in the back, the I.D Cargo is ready to tackle whatever job you are going to. Sadly, due to the U.S import tax on foriegn trucks and cargo vans, this will not be available for sale here. Next up, we have the standard ID Buzz. With the same single-motor powertrain as the cargo van, the short-wheelbase I.D Buzz is the one shown in all the press photos. This van has the wheelbase of the Atlas SUV but the overall length of a compact Jetta, the I.D Buzz crams a lot of stuff into a little space. Inside, there are 5 seats, USB ports everywhere, and a massive cargo area. There are easter eggs referencing past VW vans all over the place, as well.

And lastly, there is the one we’re getting. The long-wheelbase I.D Buzz is not revealed yet, but will likely be the same size as the average minivan here, since it is going to be marketed as a fun, electric counterpart to your everyday Sienna or Pacifica. It should offer a dual-motor AWD powertrain with over 300 horsepower and around the same in range, and should start around $40,000. Not bad for something that seemingly packs a lot more than your standard minivan.

Slight problem though, the I.D Buzz will not be sold in America until some time in 2024. That is a long time to wait for such a cool van, but it is good since Europe will provide a good testing period so nothing goes wrong on the US model. Stay tuned though, because there definitely is a lot more news to come with this electric utility vehicle.