Consumption and range on Norwegian roads
– How is the place, then? Is that god?
It is Saturday morning. I have just got out of the shower, after starting the day (a bit too long) in the home office. Well, I look out the window from the second floor and see a neighbor who is in our yard and walking around in the car.
He has clearly called first, because my 11-year-old daughter is also there. She answers to the best of her ability, assures him that the place is very good and that the car is really cool!
The episode is not random at all, I don’t think I’ve ever had a test car that caused so much attention and got so many people to come over and talk.
Hit blink
If Volkswagen was ever in doubt that ID.Buzz was going to be noticed – then the whole group can breathe a sigh of relief now. That will of course change when thousands of copies eventually roll on Norwegian roads. But right now, at the very beginning, this is an attention-magnet of the truly rare!
So we can say that VW has hit the nail on the head with its new electric car.
We in Broom have eventually hit it several times. The first test run was made to Copenhagen. Well, a small pile of cars has arrived in Norway, as a foretaste of what is to come after the harvest.
We wrote this about Microbus 11 years ago
Just five seats?
Volkswagen makes it easy for itself – and the customers – at the start. Here, one battery pack applies, it is 77 kWt and is the same one we know from the other ID. models (and several other cars from the group). The car also only has rear-wheel drive, you can just forget about 4×4 at first.
It is also just one seating solution. And it surprises several of those who come over and want to take a closer look at the car.
– What, does it only have five seats?
It’s a recurring thing here and I understand that too. When the car is so big and obviously has room for more seats, it is a bit nice that Volkswagen starts as they do, with a traditional rear seat, not separate seats as we are used to finding in a multi-purpose car. The luggage compartment is, in return, generous, so large that few people will ever need all the 1,121 liters you get here.
No – sometimes you shouldn’t use your mobile phone
In the video below you can join us in the backseat of the Buzz:
Out on the test track
The other recurring question is the range. The battery pack is therefore not huge, so the official figure here is 418 kilometres. That the car is large and weighs close to 2.5 tonnes is reflected in the official consumption figure: 21 kWt/100 kilometres. Many electric cars use less power than this.
On our first test ride in Denmark, it was almost summer temperature and as it should be in Denmark: Flat and fine driving conditions. Then we also ended up very close to the official figure.
That is why we are used when we take the Buzz on our well-known test track here at home. 10 miles with varied speed limits, everything from motorway to light driving and a good bit of country road with 60, 70 and 80 zones.
This is where ID.Buzz appeared for the first time in Norway
Motorway = lots of power
The temperature is 7-8 degrees and it is raining, sometimes heavily. We start with a cold car, inside we have a temperature of 21 degrees and it also costs us heated seats and heated steering wheel at the start. The driving style is smart and defensive, without the focus being on extreme economy driving.
After 100 kilometres, we note a consumption of 23.5 kWh, then after an average speed of 68 km/h. It is a fairly high consumption figure, along the way it is easy to see that the higher speeds are what really draw power here.
We check a little extra on the motorway. With an average speed of 97 km/h, the consumption figure ends up at 28.2 kWh. Then it’s a dry road and 7 degrees.
Skyrocketing interest – VW increased production
That things affect negatively
The average consumption on varied driving indicates that you can expect a range of around 35 miles at this time of year. If you have a lot of motorway driving, it will be less.
We have eventually tested quite a few tall electric cars at motorway speed, common to all of them is that the consumption increases sharply when you pass 90-100 km/h.
For ID.Buzz, it is that things that affect her negatively. The car has a high and quite blunt front, so there is a lot that has to be pushed through the air. In terms of consumption, we are quite far from an optimal electric car design.
Gets burned for it
Put an ID.Buzz next to a Tesla Model 3 and you really see different. The Tesla has an almost strangely low hood and a high “glass superstructure”. Aesthetically speaking, not very beautiful, if you ask me, but there is a very good reason why it is like that: It reduces air resistance and thus consumption.
The buzz is completely different from the scale and stings for it. In addition, there is the fact that there is a LOT of compartment that needs to be heated. It also costs electricity. That is why we are used to how the consumption will be when winter comes. No one has tested it yet, we want to have it done before too long.
Here are 10 things you should know about ID.Buzz
Will sell everything
A larger battery pack will come later, as will 4×4 and the option of more seats and a more flexible interior. The latter we think the car deserves to the degree it deserves. It’s strange that this isn’t in place already, but Volkswagen probably also knows that they’re going to sell everything they manage to produce and more to boot. Then it might also be smart to have more goodies in stock for later.
Perhaps this “starter edition” will be perceived as a little outdated in a few years, when the entire model range has been rolled out. But one thing is never certain. If you like to be noticed in traffic and think it’s early: then there are hardly any other cars that work better right now.
Not a bad sale…
Back to my yard: Basically, my daughter doesn’t care that much about the test cars that come and go in our yard. But she has a taste for this one! So when I’ve thrown on my clothes and am on my way out, I hear her finish talking to a reassuring neighbor that we also want this one. Yes, we’ve had it for a long time!
So if a Buzz doesn’t appear in his yard before too long, at least it’s not due to bad sales from my 11-year-old!
Click here to read the first test of ID.Buzz
Volkswagen ID. Buzz Pro 77 kW
Engine:
- Electric, one motor
- Power: 204 hp
- 0-100 km/h: 10.2 seconds
- Top speed: 145 km/h
- Consumption (WLTP): 21 kWh/100 kilometers
Battery/charge:
- Battery pack: 77 kWh net
- Range: 418 km (WLTP)
- Fast charging: 170 kW
- On-board charger: 11 kW
Measurements, weight and volume:
- Length x width x height: 471 x 198 x 192 cm.
- Luggage compartment: 1,121 litres
- Weight: 2,416 kilos
- Trailer weight: 1,000 kilos
- Weight: 100 kilos
Price:
- Starting price: from DKK 484,400
- Test car: DKK 619,800
Video: Join us – we meet her at ID.Buzz in Denmark