VW Confirms ID Buzz for USA in 2023
 

VW confirmed the ID Buzz van will go on sale in the USA in 2023 as a 2024 model. Long wheelbase and passenger versions only. RWD or AWD.

(No cargo version due to 25% chicken tax)

https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod...1616714268.jpg

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a3...0of%20the%20ID.

I feel like the US has been salivating over this thing since they first teased that concept a back in 2011.

https://inhabitat.com/bulli-volkswag...lassic-vw-bus/

I like the look of it! I'd like to see it in the classic black-over-red color combo.

I'm starting to not care anymore. :( Since the Canoo van has been teased.

Black-over-red is generic. The 23-window buses were Chestnut Brown over Sealing Wax Red. On my Notchback I went with Hot Rod primer over Red Oxide primer.

Why do many EV's come in RWD or AWD? What about good ol' FWD? I would be more likely to buy a Tesla if they came in the FWD format. And I don't mean just tiny sub-compact cars. I mean FWD station wagons, minivans, mid and full sized sedans, etc. What's happened to good ol' practicality?

Probably are trying to get more sales from the "less practical" crowd. A fwd doesn't really cater to those wants (or atleast isn't what people correlate with fwd vehicles).

Fwd tends to suck in icy or low tracton conditions. Something about losing steering when you add power perhaps 1/2 of America gets snow sometimes. Then right after that the municipality gets many insurance claims.

How do you figure? FWD doesn't suck in icy, slick conditions. It does have it's disadvantages, but once in motion its advantages cater more to the novice driver.

FWD tends to understeer.
RWD tends to oversteer.

Accelerate too much in a FWD and nothing bad happens. You just lose a bit of steering until you let off the accelerator.
With RWD, back before traction and stability control accidentally giving it a bit too much accelerator (especially when an ol' 3 speed automatic decides to downshift) can have you instantly sideways. There's still a chance even with modern traction and stability control that quick changes in the accelerator could make a novice driver lose control.

Also going into a corner too fast in a FWD will cause you to keep going a bit too straight. The natural reaction to let off the accelerator is the correct reaction to help gain back that control.
In a RWD vehicle the rear axle will start to lose traction first when going too fast for a corner. Instantly letting off the accelerator can make the weight shift to quickly onto the front wheels and make matters worse.

If you crash in a FWD you tend to crash straight on.
In a RWD you tend to spin out of control and are more likely to crash sideways.

Only if you're a professional driver does RWD kind of make sense on the road. If you know how to make smooth and well calculated changes to the accelerator and steering in admist of losing traction on the rear wheels you can actually go around a corner even faster than in a FWD vehicle. The reason is that your wheels that control the direction of the vehicle are the last to lose traction, so as long as you can keep your rear end from sliding too far out you still have control of the vehicle.
When going too fast with a FWD vehicle your only hope is to wait for the vehicle to slow down enough for you to be able to regain your steering once again.

But at low speeds FWD has an advantage over RWD. If you're stuck or have the possibility to get stuck, FWD gives you more options of getting out since your drive wheels are steerable. Sometimes you need to steer right or left to pull you out off a bad situation.
With RWD your only options are forwards or backwards. If neither of those work to get unstuck, well you're still going to be stuck.

Conclusion
Even though I've had lots of training as a professional driver on how to deal with icy roads in RWD vehicles and feel like I can keep better control at higher speeds in them, I don't really see the advantage for myself since I don't believe in driving fast in icy conditions in the first place.

What I'm more concerned about is that all my other family drivers are not trained professionals, and I don't expect them to be. I'd much rather them go a bit too fast into a corner in a FWD vehicle in which their natural reaction will be the correct reaction. And if they crash I would rather they crash head-on.

I'm also more concerned with getting unstuck in snow. All the above points to a FWD vehicle as being more practical for snowy and icy conditions.

I've been a professional driver for years here in the snowy, icy and steep Colorado Rockies and have driven all sorts of vehicles in FWD, RWD and AWD configurations. My opinion is that FWD is better than RWD for the ice and snow unless your objective is to drive as fast as possible, which shouldn't be your objective in the first place. And yes, AWD has a great advantage over FWD but it's not necessary, has it's own disadvantages and costs too much.

Counterpoint:

With RWD you get the entire front of the car to be a crumple zone, giving better crash safety ratings
With RWD and the ease of making a nearly perfect 50-50 F-R balance, you get the best driving dynamics.
With RWD, torquey electric motors don't cause torque steer
With RWD, you don't lose traction on acceleration from front->rear weight transfer, you gain it. Same goes from climbing an icy hill
With RWD electric, you get advanced stability/traction control features pretty much free with the drive electronics, negating all your handling concerns

Finally: the VW bus was R-R layout originally, so it's more authentic :)

Good points. Of course since these are AWD optional, I wonder if there's a difference in front crumple zones between AWD and RWD layouts.

Your points are probably all true, but I don't have any experience in one. The main thing is 50:50 weight distribution and modern stability and traction controls should relieve pretty much any such problems. But I haven't driven one. It's like telling someone that they can drive a diesel that's nearly silent when all the diesels they've ever driven are noisy. Add to that that all the ice and snow reviews are always done in the AWD versions. So sure, people say new electric RWD is probably pretty good, but how can I know for sure when FWD has worked so well for me for so long?

I still think FWD would be better than RWD for once you're stuck in the snow.

Terminal oversteer is real, but I don't think it's due to weight transfer. I could steer my Notchback doing a donut in an intersection, at 10-15mph.

Your conjecture about ice and snow may be correct, but OTOH rear-wheel drive has the advantage climbing hills.