Volkswagen ID. Buzz Engineers did cold weather tests in Sweden
When people mention Volkswagen, the chances are high that Beetle is the first thing that comes to mind. In addition to the Bug, the other model is synonymous with the German manufacturer Samba Bus, which is the inspiration behind the not yet released Volkswagen ID. Buzz. It is a new EV minivan that is expected to compete for the best-selling EV car in Europe.
Volkswagen recently released a documentary offering detailed coverage of behind-the-scenes activities to create the electric ID. 7, from its inspiration, Bulli van, to the conceptualization of the 2001 version and finally ID. Buzz’s revelation.
A brief look at the manufacture of the Volkswagen ID. Buzz
Volkswagen’s forty-minute documentary is an eye-opener, which provides crucial insights into what they had done behind the curtains to create the new all-electric minivan. The carmaker allowed a crew of film professionals to cover several aspects of the development process – something that was kept secret until the car was unveiled.
According to Volkswagen, ID. Buzz embodies the company’s decades of experience in the van manufacturing sector. With the deep knowledge, the vehicle company succeeded in creating the electric car with increased efficiency by redesigning its shape, adding softer chassis panels and a more efficient wheel design. The result was an impressive drag coefficient of 0.285.
Marked on Bil Buzz, the video also covers the stress testing phase, which one would only see in spy photos. The tests took Volkswagen’s engineers to Italy, where they created a vacuum inside the vehicle’s cabin to suck in dust and other elements.
They also removed various panels to identify vulnerabilities in the car’s structure. They fixed these gaps and the results were used for further upgrades.
Volkswagen ID. Buzz undergoes cold weather tests in Sweden
Cold weather testing is common among many automakers, and there is no better place for such a test than a region near the Arctic Circle. That was what forced Volkswagen’s engineers to perform ID. 7’s cold weather test in Sweden, a county that experiences extreme winter temperatures that are on average negative 22 degrees Fahrenheit and negative 33 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cold weather can significantly damage the range of an electric car and jeopardize the performance of critical components. In the documentary, the engineers evaluated the effects of the cold with a keen eye and checked the body panels for ice and other debris after the test. The assessment made it possible for Volkswagen to gather valuable insights about the car’s performance in cold weather and the worst possible figures.
The employees also took the opportunity to test the efficiency of the car’s built-in heating system using its mirrors as “lab rats”. The mirrors were cooled to negative 20 degrees before the test. The vehicle was then taken into a cold enclosure and they turned on the heaters with a defrost time of three minutes. As expected, the iced mirrors were cleaned within that time frame.
What do we know about ID. Buzz so far?
It is known that Volkswagen ID. 7 is built on the German carmaker’s electric MEB platform. It is this platform that makes Buzz possible. With modern, stiffer crash control standards, the platform allows Volkswagen to capture the forward-looking regulations of the original bus and meet today’s safety regulations.
Volkswagen ID. 7 also shares certain components with ID. 4. According to MotorTrend, Buzz comes with a longer wheelbase to accommodate a gross battery of 82 kWh, the same as that in the ID. 4 crossover SUV. The two cars have a rear-mounted permanent magnet motor that delivers 201 hp and 229 lb-ft of torque.
The MEB platform also made it possible for Volkswagen to create the ID. Buzz as a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), which means that potential customers can use it as a passenger car or a utilitarian commercial truck.
Tests in cold weather are usually one of the last tests a new car undergoes, and it is safe to say that the company will soon present the final product. ID: t. 7 is expected to make its market debut in 2024.
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