ID. Buzz Sets Off to Prove EVs Can Go the Distance and Then Some

Volkswagen’s electric retro van has swapped the organic grocery lot for the global stage. The ID. Buzz, with its peace-sign vibes and pastel color palette, is now the unlikely star of an around-the-world expedition. Behind the wheel? Rainer Zietlow—a man with eight Guinness World Records and, clearly, a surplus of spare time.

Zietlow’s mission: to cross more than 75 countries in a single electric van. The journey begins at VW’s commercial vehicle HQ in Hanover. The finish line? Unclear—but the Buzz will have to survive customs checks, unavoidable ferry crossings, and no doubt dozens of panicked shouts of, “Where the **** do we charge this thing?!”

The ID. Buzz comes equipped with an 86 kWh battery and a theoretical range of up to 400 km per charge—under perfect conditions. But perfect is rarely the norm when navigating the planet’s farthest-flung corners. To help bridge the gap, the van carries a mobile charging unit, ready to convert electricity from sockets that might look more like stovetops than car chargers.

Volkswagen is fully backing the project, promising spare parts “anywhere from Indonesia to Taiwan.” Whether that means a back-alley mechanic in Ulaanbaatar will actually know how to swap a battery module remains to be seen.

The point of all this? Someone had to prove that EVs can go further than the morning commute. And let’s be honest—it’s a brilliant marketing stunt. A Buzz rolling through deserts and mountain passes, snapping selfies and gathering headlines. VW’s sales team is thrilled, hoping more than just Rainer will be inspired to fork over €60,000 for their own road-tripping hipster van.

People talk a lot about EV potential—now at least one person is out there living it. Good luck to him. And may the charging gods be generous.