New Film Reveals Development Process of the VW ID. Buzz

• Volkswagen releases documentary following the development process of the VW ID. Buzz from concept to production.

• The automaker unveiled the European versions of the ID. Buzz in March, but US buyers likely won't see the EV in the metal until late 2023.

• VW plans a number of versions of the electric MPV globally, including a panel van for deliveries and a luxury camper.

Few vehicles in recent memory have endured a more closely watched development cycle than the VW ID. Buzz. While many of our readers probably remember the retro-themed 2001 Microbus concept (which still looks fantastic, by the way), the more direct impetus for Wolfsburg's development of an electric model was tied to the darkest days of Volkswagen's diesel crisis, which still feels simultaneously recent, but also quite distant in many ways. The crisis itself forced a reckoning within Volkswagen, hastening the demise of not only the diesel era but also an understanding that gas-engined models may not be around forever.

The automaker's newfound electric religion prompted a flurry of concepts to emerge, with a Microbus-styled model once again quickly making its way to the top. The ID. Buzz concept, as it was dubbed at the time, was among the first new electric models to be greenlit by the management in Wolfsburg, though its journey from concept to production would not be as short as that of another gas-engined model.

A new documentary by Volkswagen, featured below, offers a close look at the journey of the ID. Buzz from concept to production, providing a rare glimpse at Wolfsburg's design and development process.