Volkswagen has announced the much-anticipated arrival of the ID. Buzz – an all-electric people mover that speaks directly back to the days of the T1 and T2, those iconic VW vehicles of the 1960s and '70s.
The ID. Buzz is a futuristic addition to VW's electric vehicle stable, and will be launched around Europe later this year, with orders available from May in some locations. The Buzz boasts several clever technological advances, including communicating with other traffic to spot hazards in real time.
But the question that has been regularly levelled at both this vehicle and the T7, which was unveiled late in 2021, is whether either would make a good campervan.
As things stand, it will be T7, the seventh iteration of the Transporter, that becomes the platform for next generation Transporter-based campervan conversions. Volkswagen itself has committed the future of its California model to the Transporter, so it would take a lone converter to make the first move it would seem.
T7 will share the MQB underpinnings with Ford Transit vehicles, meaning it will make a far more practical base for campervan converters who want to manufacture using both vehicles.
Equally, with the ID. Buzz being all-electric, there are practical considerations about increasing the weight of the vehicle with a conversion, and the impact this will have on the vehicle's range. It's expected the Buzz will have about 250 miles of range, but add in the weighty elements of a conversion and that range could dwindle.
Owners would also have to consider the logistics of being able to charge the vehicle when they go camping, either en-route or on their destination campsite. The majority of campsites' electrical installations will not be up to the job of charging electric vehicles, especially as battery capacities grow and the vehicles grow more frequent in number.
The MEB platform this vehicle is based on will not necessarily preclude it from becoming a campervan in the future, and it's something we'd be especially interested to see happen eventually - not least because it would appeal aesthetically to those who have a yearning for the good old days of the 'Splitty' and 'Bay Window' campervans.
Will it make a good campervan? There's every chance it might. But our betting is it will be some time before anyone has a go at creating one for commercial purposes.