The ID. BUZZ – the fans' heartthrob

Decision to manufacture an electric VW Microbus based on the iconic design of the ID. BUZZ concept

What a great entrance at Pebble Beach! The I.D.BUZZ steals the show from the exclusive models presented by other marques at the event. And avid Volkswagen fans like David Bernardo give the newcomer a rapturous reception. For the American, the fact that the I.D. BUZZ will be going into series production "is a tremendous opportunity for Volkswagen".

Monterey, the golfers' paradise in California, is a special place. Once a year, automotive enthusiasts from all over the world gather there to admire prized collector cars, several of which are worth many millions of dollars. This year, though, the show's crowd-puller is a car of the future rather than a classic model. Volkswagen is presenting the new I.D. BUZZ. And people are electrified.

First, the e-van glides silently onto the stage. Then Herbert Diess, the Volkswagen brand CEO, and Eckhard Scholz, CEO of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, break the news that the I.D. BUZZ will be going into production – and talk of a mini-sensation spreads like wildfire. Standing in the crowd, David Bernardo agrees. His eyes shine.

The former art director from Silicon Valley can hardly believe it. For 15 years now, he's been hoping to hear those words, and at last it is really going to happen: the "Microbus", as the Bulli is called in the U.S., is getting a successor. "It's a dream come true, I so wanted Volkswagen to build the Buzz. And that's exactly what they're going to do!" The 52-year-old's face lights up as the cameras flash.

Bernardo is the quintessential Volkswagen fan. His passion began when he saw a Beetle parked in his neighbor's driveway. "That was back sometime in the 70s. American roads were mainly full of big, heavy limousines. But I immediately fell in love with that small, rounded silhouette, and then there was the distinctive sound of a Beetle engine – I was captivated …", David recalls. He bought his first Beetle as soon as he was old enough to drive. It was followed by a Karmann Ghia and even a 1965 Samba Bus. Somewhere along the line Bernardo's love of Volkswagen went so far that he quit his lucrative job in Silicon Valley and moved with his wife Bonnie to San Diego, 400 miles away, to set up his company called Zelectric.

"Zelectric came into being because I got really fed up thinking about whether there would be enough oil and gas. I asked myself: why not put an electric drive in a Beetle? And anyway, I was tired of the Silicon Valley hustle and wanted to do my own thing …" Not long after that, Bernardo combined work with pleasure and registered Zelectric Motors as a company in the U.S. Bernardo has been outfitting air-cooled Volkswagen like the Beetle, the Bulli, and sometimes even the Karmann Ghia and Things, with electric powertrains since 2006. Bernardo – the forerunner of Volkswagen's electric offensive in America.

First, the conventional gas tank and engine are removed from the vintage vehicle. The new electric motor is then mounted direct on the original transmission. The lithium-ion battery cells – 37 in total – are fitted nearer the front in the trunk, where the gas tank was located, and in the storage space behind the rear seat. Then, all that's needed are an oil cooler and a converter to charge the 12-volt battery which is used to supply power to the onboard electronics and heating, as in the original configuration.

The battery monitor is neatly tucked in next to the dials on the dashboard. It fulfills two functions – it continuously displays energy consumption and indicates when the battery will need to be charged again.

"I want to change as little as possible on every Volkswagen I convert. The electric motor adapts to the aesthetics of each car. With its orange cables it's almost a work of art in its own right", Bernardo says with a smile. If you're looking for cable chaos you'll search in vain. He can convert a Beetle or a Bulli back from electric drive to a conventional internal combustion engine in just a few simple steps. But who would want to do that? His concept has meantime caught on all over the world. Does he miss the characteristic rattling sound of his Beetle? "In essence, that's only metal parts jostling against one another. This here is my mission. I'll show you the speed of this little Beetle here later …" he says.

A Zelectric customer will have to fork over roughly $50,000 for the pleasure of owning a built-to-order converted electric vehicle bearing the Wolfsburg coat of arms. Bernardo's Beetle even played the lead in a reality TV show. And when the legendary Gumball rally stopped over in his neighborhood, the organizers invited David to come by with his Beetle. The white badge on his jacket tells that story.

Visitors to pebble beach like making personal statements of all kinds. The highly-polished bodywork of the oldtimers reflects cigar-smoking gentlemen and the whacky hats of their female companions, each one vying to be the pinnacle of millinery fashion. Once a year, for several days in late summer, Monterey is all about "seeing and being seen". Automotive enthusiasts from all over the world come together in this beautiful spot in California on the U.S. West Coast to admire collector cars whose value has soared to astronomic heights. The Concours d'Elegance, the event's grand finale, testifies to the owners' pride in their wonderful automobiles.

California is a particularly historic place for the Volkswagen Bulli, too. Initially designed as a "workhorse" for Germany, only a few years later and over ten thousand kilometers further west it became the symbol of a generation that stood for "freedom on wheels". The Woodstock flower children and the West Coast surfers lost their hearts to the Bulli – a love affair that continues to the present day. The Bulli was and is Californian cult. From professional surfers to eternal travelers: they all say no other mobile solution can compare with the Bulli. Its friendly face adorns T-shirts and accessories in almost every surfer shop. From Santa Cruz to San Diego.

Volkswagen Pressekonferenz anlässlich des Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach, Kalifonien, am 19. August 2017 - Die Volkswagen Studie ID. BUZZ geht in Serie

Now, this movement has the chance to live on. In a different way, quieter, more progressive. An armada of T1 is lined up on the Pebble Beach lawn. Complete with fans. They represent the vibrant Volkswagen tradition. And they all want to welcome the successor. The I.D. BUZZ is a hit, the spectators are – quite literally – buzzing.

No, this isn't about a 1963 Rolls-Royce, and it's not about the gentleman wearing the red socks, either. "Have you seen the Buzz?" is the question people are asking. "An e-Bulli". In the World Wide Web, the shares and likes are soaring. There are posts on the I.D. BUZZ, the scoop in the automobile universe, in blogs and on social media channels like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. The white-and-yellow silhouette adorns almost every network, often closely followed by a string of exclamation marks and heart emojis. It's really coming! At last! Love!!! The mood infects a group of surfers passing through, too. They take a seat and decide on the spot: Yep, their fleet needs the I.D.BUZZ.

David Bernardo wholeheartedly echoes that sentiment: "You can add me to the waiting list right now!" he calls to the Volkswagen CEO, who smiles back. "This is a tremendous opportunity for Volkswagen, I'm so excited!" He wants to be one of the first to drive the I.D. BUZZ once it goes on sale in 2022.

I.D. BUZZ – the vehicle has not yet gone on sale and therefore Directive 1999/94 EC does not apply.