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3 row ID.Buzz world premiere huntington beach

VW has revealed the much-anticipated long wheelbase version of its ID. Buzz electric microbus, with an extra row of seats and starting deliveries next year in the US.

Update: we’ve added some more information we gathered today at the reveal event this morning in Huntington Beach, CA.

The new ID. Buzz version is much like the two-row European spec, but with a little more of just about everything. It has 282hp as opposed to 201hp (plus an available 330hp dual-motor configuration) with a top speed of 99 mph instead of 90 mph, 91kWh instead of 82kWh of battery, and is a full 10 inches longer. It also gets an openable rear window, unlike the two-row version.

Those additional 10 inches all come in the form of a 10-inch-longer wheelbase. At 192.4 inches long, the three-row ID. Buzz is actually a full 2 feet longer than VW’s original 168-inch-long microbus. This all means more space for humans and cargo compared to the two-row version. The extra row of seats takes up some of that space, but the 2nd row folds flat and 3rd row can be removed (and Canada will get a unique long-wheelbase, two-row version, without the third row of seats for those who just want more room).

Sitting in the car at the reveal event, there was no shortage of space. At 6′ tall in the 2nd row and with a 6’3″ VW dealer representative behind me, both of us had no shortage of room in any dimension. 6 adults should have no problem here, and probably 7 as long as at least one of them is skinny. VW is planning a 6-seat option, but we haven’t seen it yet.

The longer wheelbase also means room for an extra 9kWh of battery. VW hasn’t yet announced the range of the three-row version, though the European spec has 263 miles on the WLTP cycle. While the NA-spec has a larger battery, it’s also a longer and heavier vehicle, and EPA mileage estimates are significantly lower than WLTP estimates, so we can’t be sure what the final number will shake out as. All VW would tell is that it will be somewhere between 200-300 miles.

As for charging capability, the two-row bus has 170kW charging, but a VW rep told us that the larger battery will likely enable faster charging, perhaps as high as “around” 200kW.

The only solid efficiency-related answer VW provided in writing, though, is that the Buzz has a drag coefficient of .29, which it calls “very good for a vehicle of this shape” (i.e., a brick).

The North American model also comes in three new colors that aren’t available on the European spec: Cabana Blue, Metro Silver, and Indium Grey.

VW hasn’t yet specified a price for the US version of the ID.Buzz, but it starts in the $65K-$70K range in Europe after taxes. While the 3-row version is larger, VW hinted to us at the event that US pricing might even come in below European pricing, but that’s obviously not a promise as nothing is officially announced yet.

A lower price might be necessary because the ID.Buzz will be built in Germany and imported to the US, which means it won’t get access to tax credits like the US-built ID.4 does. This also means the US won’t get the cargo van – it would be subject to the “chicken tax” which keeps foreign trucks out of the US. VW says domestic production could happen, but that’s contingent on sales going well (we at Electrek think VW is underestimating the market for this car), and on production timelines.

Regardless, this puts the price near the high-end of the electric SUV market, nowhere near the entry level. We mention electric SUVs because there isn’t really another vehicle like this. There’s one plug-in hybrid minivan, the Pacifica Hybrid, and some commercial electric vans like the eSprinter and E-Transit. The ID. Buzz sits somewhere adjacent to a van and a minivan, with more character than either, so it’s hard to really find a direct competitor for it.

But the closest thing is probably minivans, and this will be much higher price than the gas-powered entry-level of that market, which is in the ~$35K range. That said, the Buzz may access some state and local incentives and will have lower running costs from energy and maintenance.

And, as the first all-electric entry into the market, VW probably thinks it can justify a higher price. Anecdotally, there does seem to be significant demand out there for a cool minivan-esque electric vehicle – especially one that could enable interesting conversion/adventure options.

VW didn’t give us any more news about the upcoming California camper van that it’s planning, but the long wheelbase gives VW room to work with. With all that space and built-in electricity, there should be some really cool options out there for van-lifers (perhaps even ones who want to stay off the grid with solar panels).

Electrek’s Take

We got a little hands-on time with the ID.Buzz at today’s reveal event in Huntington Beach, and crowds were pretty excited about the new electric bus.

The long wheelbase version brings a welcome addition for the rear seats – a window
This addon makes the floor flat when seats are folded down, plus offers storage underneath.
When charge door is open, the side door will stop before colliding with it. But if you open the side door first, the charge door won’t open.
A peek “under the hood”

As someone whose family had a VW Vanagon Westfalia camper growing up, the VW bus has special significance to me. My family went on a lot of adventures in that bus, and for all its quirks, it was an awesome vehicle.

And when I got into electric vehicles, I constantly thought about what a great platform a bus would be for an EV, with plenty of room under the floor for batteries which could power various camping accessories (stoves, lights, entertainment, etc.).

So when Voltswagen showed off its original ID. Buzz concept and leaned hard into the cool retro style of it all, I was immediately sold on the idea. I, and many others, thought it was just too cool.

Then reality set in, and the car ended up looking a little less “cute” than the original retro concept. The finalized version got a little more boxy shape, lost the characteristic old multi-window look, and the commercial/cargo version even lost the rear windows to just look like a normal van.

But still, between the two-tone paint job and short overhangs (though a less-forward driving position than classic buses, a result of modern safety requirements), the ID. Buzz remains more “fun” than a normal van. And it does have more character than most minivans, and is less boxy than other vans like the Sprinter and Transit.

At the event today, VW invited bus owners to show up, and there was a huge swath of them filling the parking lot. Many of them were excited to see the bus coming back, but, like me, wished it carried over more of the original spirit of the classic bus. That said, VW’s presentation leaned hard into that classic bus culture, so we hope it can continue to cultivate that and incorporate that spirit into the Buzz.

A 1979 electric VW bus with an 1,874lb, 25.9kWh lead acid battery

I do question, however, why North America can’t have the two-row version. It seems like everyone is releasing a three-row EV this year, as if suddenly every American family gained two or three extra members that their European counterparts did not.

Somehow, my family’s 180-inch camper slept my whole American family comfortably, despite being a foot shorter than today’s offering – and it even had a kitchen, too. And a Westfalia owner I spoke to, who owned the same vehicle I grew up in, said the same thing: he wished they’d have brought the smaller version here, and earlier.

VW of America told us that they could pick either the short or long wheelbase for NA, and they chose the long one. They think it would fit the market better, and its myriad customer types.

We have a strange obsession with bigger vehicles here, despite their enormous costs to society (e.g., thousands of pedestrian lives). Some would say that Americans simply demand larger vehicles, but the problem is more complex than that – it’s largely driven by poor regulation that incentivizes the upsizing of cars. Thankfully the EPA has shown signs that it would like to bend the needle back, but somewhat slowly.

Until then, we still get a neat, retro-esque bus that looks like it could get some awesome camper capabilities. But some of us may still wait for a more micro-version of the classic microbus, instead of the maxi-micro-bus America is getting now.

And there are still some questions that are yet unanswered (price, range), but I’m excited to see what VW does with this bus anyway – and to see what kind of cool modifications people get up to in offering potential camper versions and the like.

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July Prime Day 2025 Green Deals: EVs, power stations, tools, appliances, more

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July 8, 2025

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July Prime Day 2025 Green Deals: EVs, power stations, tools, appliances, more

It’s that time of the year once again, with Amazon’s Prime Day officially kicking off with plenty of amazing Green Deals and beyond – with several even continuing from earlier July 4th events. The savings train has officially rolled into the station, and this year we’re getting four days of deals that are dropping prices to some of the lowest of the year, alongside many of our favorite eco-friendly tech brands also offering direct parallel sales too. You’ll find price cuts on EVs, power stations, electric tools, ENERGY STAR-certified appliances, and much more below, curated together in this one-stop shopping hub. Don’t miss your chance to electrify your life at the best prices while they last during this event. We will be regularly updating this hub over the course of the event, so check back later if nothing catches your eye yet.

July Prime Day 2025 Green Deals

EcoFlow power stations

Prime Day Power Station Green Deals

Segway Xyber e-bike

Prime Day EV Green Deals

ECOVACS robot lawn mower

Prime Day Garden and Lawncare Green Deals

aiper smart device

Prime Day Appliance and Device Green Deals

***All prices subject to change at any time…cash in while you can!

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Rivian R1 Quad kick turns into the new EV Halo car brand

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July 8, 2025

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Rivian R1 Quad kick turns into the new EV Halo car brand

Rivian R1T Quad

Rivian flew us out to Lake Tahoe to show off the crazy capabilities of its new quad-motor powertrain on both its R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV. Rivian’s original R1S and R1T were quad-motor vehicles, but as of the second generation of the R1 platform, only dual and tri-motor variants existed. So why quad? Why now?

First of all, let’s get the specs out of the way. The new Rivian Quad is a beast, all the way from its $120,000 price tag to its over 1,000 horsepower and 1200 lb-ft torque.

  • Prices for R1T start at $115,990 USD / $190,990 CAD and the R1S starts at $121,990 USD / $201,990 CAD – Deliveries begin summer 2025
  • Launch Edition R1T starts at $119,990 USD / $196,990 CAD and Launch Edition R1S starts at $125,990 USD / $207,990 CAD. Rivian is reintroducing Launch Edition for the Gen 2 Quad, celebrating the configuration that first defined our commitment to all-electric performance and adventure.
  • Destination and freight charge is $1,895 USD / $2 ,695 CAD
  • Powertrain: Horsepower: 1,025 hp Torque: 1,198 lb.-ft.
  • Performance 0 – 60 MPH 2 .5 sec R1T, 2 .6 sec R1S, ¼ Mile Time 10.5 sec, VMax 130mph
  • Range: EPA-estimated up to 3 74 miles of range (Up to 400 miles in Conserve mode)
  • Charge Port: NACS (North American Charging Standard)

How does one characterize this massive spec monster in the larger vehicle landscape? Before we try to get our head around that, there is more.

The Rivian R1 Quad brings back tank turn as a new feature: Kick Turn – And it is actually useful.

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From our history books, we know that one of the features that the original R1 Quads touted was the ability to turn in a circle/spin on its axis by having its right side wheels spin one way and its left side wheels spin the other. While the ‘tank turn’ disappointingly never made it to the original production vehicles, Rivian hadn’t let go of the idea.

Kick Turn.

The New R1 Quads bring back the ability to turn/spin on a dime when offroading. However, this isn’t just a parlor trick. It is actually useful when negotiating tight switchbacks.

Here’s what it is like to invoke the “Kick Turn” from inside the vehicle. Unintuitively, you don’t want to turn the steering wheel. Instead, you simultaneously push both steering wheel buttons in the direction you want to turn.

The same maneuver from behind:

I was able to use and master the kick turn pretty quickly after trying it for the first time and it is sooooo fun….and useful. Rivian says that the kick turn should only be done on gravel and loose dirt. But I could see ejecting out of a parallel parking spot with this feature…or doing a U-Turn on a country road.

I imagine the wear on the tires that are already taking a beating from this super heavy vehicle doing 2.5 second 0-60s is massive. Rivian says that the standard tires are guaranteed for 30,000 miles but imagine that loses a few miles every time a kick turn is invoked.

Perhaps most devestating, the original Rivian Quads won’t get the Kick Turn functionality. As an owner who was excited about the tank turn functionality when making my buying decision, I’m not pleased. Rivian says that the controllers for the original Quad Motors aren’t tuned and accurate enough to master the move. I’m ready to sign a petition that Rivian try anyway.

Quad offers four different wheel and tire options:

  • 22” Super Sport
  • 22” Sport Burnished Bronze
  • 20” All-Terrain Dark
  • 20” Dune Satin Graphite All-Terrain

Also, there will be Launch Editions:

Rivian is reintroducing Launch Edition for the Gen 2 Quad, celebrating the configuration that first defined our commitment to all-electric performance and adventure. The new Launch Edition Quad will feature an exclusive “Launch Edition” IP badge and a suite of special features, including:
Two standard colorways:

  • Launch Edition exclusive: the return of Launch Green paint with Black Mountain + Brown
    Ash Wood interior
  • Storm Blue paint with Slate Sky + Walnut Wood interior
    Additional included features:
  • Lifetime Rivian Autonomy Platform+
  • Lifetime Connect+
  • Camp Speaker
  • Gen 2 Key fob

NACS native

One more nice thing about the Rivian R1 Quad is that it is the first Rivians, and one of the first non-Teslas overall, to have the NACS port standard. This allows the vehicle to charge at most Tesla chargers without adapter. The flip side however is that it will need the included CCS adapter to charge at most other network charging stations including Rivian’s own RAN charging network, at least until the networks and Rivian switch their chargers over to NACS. We had success on a V4 Supercharger near Lake Tahoe but obviously weren’t able to test the charging speed or charging curve since the vehicles we were given started at 80%.

One other nice trick is that the Quad has a control panel that allows the driver to make their own drive modes.

RAD Tuner (exclusively on Quad, coming in September): Developed by the Rivian Adventure Department, a team of engineers, software developers and designers who create and test features that push the boundaries of our vehicles.

Rivian drivers will have better control over their vehicle’s dynamic behavior. Through intuitive sliders, you can fine-tune ride handling while creating personalized and savable drive modes.

Start from scratch or build upon presets like “Rally” or “Sport.” There are even preset modes that were born from real-world triumphs:

Desert Rally mode was meticulously engineered during the 2023 Rebelle Rally, a grueling competition where the R1T made history as the first fully-electric vehicle to ever win

Hill Climb mode was honed at the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, where
in 2024, our R1T conquered the race as the fastest production truck to ever make the
ascent.

Oh and Rivian now lets you record Launch Mode with Launch Cam so those 2.5 second 0-60s where you beat the Ferrari off the line can now be downloaded and shared with friends on social media. The videos include real-time stats like speed and distance overlays. Unfortunately Rivian no longer includes an interior camera to capture passengers’ reactions.

Electrek’s take

At a starting price near $120K and realistically over that with some bells and whistles, the Rivian R1 Quad vehicles aren’t going to have mass appeal. In fact, I don’t think these will even be Rivian’s top sells since the $80,000 Rivian vehicles with dual motors are almost as good (and better on efficiency).

However, Rivian is really trying to build its brand ahead of the R2 launch and this vehicle is as adventurous as it gets, electric or otherwise. Think about it: This is a 7-seat, off roading monster that will beat almost any supercar off the line…and can now spin on a dime.

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Kia reveals the sleek new EV5 for Europe with up to 329 miles range

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July 8, 2025

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Kia reveals the sleek new EV5 for Europe with up to 329 miles range

Kia-EV5-Europe

Kia is entering Europe’s most competitive EV segment with the upgraded EV5. It’s slightly smaller than the Tesla Model Y, but Kia says the EV5 is “a cornerstone” to its growth strategy in Europe.

Kia EV5 lands in Europe

After launching the EV5 in China in November 2023, Kia’s electric SUV quickly became a hit. It’s already leading Kia’s comeback in the world’s largest EV market.

Although Kia has introduced the EV5 in other markets, including Australia and New Zealand, this is the first time it has revealed specs for the upgraded version specifically designed for Europe.

The upgraded EV5 is powered by an 81.4 kWh battery offering up to 329 miles of WLTP range. Unlike the Chinese version, which uses a BYD LFP Blade battery, the European version features a nickel-manganese-cobalt battery pack.

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It will be available in baseline and GT-line models. All EV5 variants can recharge from 10% to 80% in as little as 30 minutes.

Both variants are offered in FWD with up to 215 hp (160 kW) and 218 lb-ft (295 Nm) of torque. Kia’s electric SUV also includes bi-directional charging, including vehicle-to-load (V2L) with up to 3.6 kW of power.

Kia-EV5-Europe
Kia EV5 GT-Line for Europe (Source: Kia)

The exterior remains essentially unchanged from the version sold in China, featuring an upright stance similar to that of the larger EV9.

The European-spec EV5 measures 4,610 mm in length, 1,875 mm in width, and 1,675 mm in height, which is slightly smaller than the Tesla Model Y. It’s closer in size to the Hyundai IONIQ 5.

Kia-EV5-Europe
Kia EV5 baseline trim for Europe (Source: Kia)

Inside, the EV5 “creates a lounge-like environment” with comfort-focused seats that include massage functions, heating, and ventilation.

The interior is centered around Kia’s new ccNC (connect car Navigation Cockpit) infotainment system. The setup includes dual 12.3″ driver clusters and infotainment screens in a panoramic display, plus a 5.3″ climate control display.

Kia-EV5-Europe-interior
Kia EV5 GT-Line interior (EU) (Source: Kia)

Kia will build the upgraded EV5 for Europe in Korea, unlike the Chinese version, which is produced by its joint venture Kia Yueda.

Although prices have yet to be confirmed, the EV5 will sit between the EV3 and EV6 in Kia’s lineup. Given the EV4 starts at £34,695 ($47,700) and the EV6 is priced from £39,235 ($53,200), the EV5 is expected to start at below £40,000 ($55,000) in the UK.

Kia-EV5-Europe-interior
Kia EV5 GT-Line interior (EU) (Source: Kia)

Sjoerd Knipping, Kia Europe’s COO, said that “The EV5 is a cornerstone of Kia’s European growth strategy.” He added that the electric SUV is “tailored to the way Europeans live, work, and drive.”

Kia has already confirmed the EV5 will be sold in other global markets, including Canada. However, it will not arrive in the US.

The company said it will launch the EV5 “exclusively for the Canadian market” in North America. It will be available with FWD and AWD powertrains, as well as two battery sizes: 60.3 kWh and 81.4 kWh, offering a range of up to 310 miles (500 km).

What do you think of Kia’s new electric SUV? Would you buy one over the Tesla Model Y or the Hyundai IONIQ 5? Let us know in the comments.

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