Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo
Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo Commerce 79 kWh Single-speed auto (RWD)
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo Commerce 79 kWh Single-speed auto (RWD) has 277 miles of official range, a 690kg payload and 185kW rapid charging. List price £37,690 excluding VAT.
Electric · medium van · on sale
Dimensions
Price
Battery and range
Load
Charging
Ownership
| Warranty | 3-year/100,000 mile vehicle warranty; battery 8 years or 100,000 miles[5] |
|---|
Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo price changes
No list price change recorded for the Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo since THRIVE first recorded its price on 16 September 2026.
List prices excluding VAT, from the manufacturer's own UK price lists. A date marked "recorded" is the day THRIVE took in a new price list that carried no date of its own.
Compare the Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo with
- Kia PV5 Cargo vs Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo: price, payload, load space and size side by side
- Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo vs Ford Transit Custom: price, payload, load space and size side by side
THRIVE verdict
Longest range and biggest battery in its class, but payload and volume trail rivals
The ID. Buzz Cargo's case is range and charging. Its 277 mile WLTP figure is the highest of 30 electric medium vans we track, backed by the largest usable battery (79kWh) and the fastest peak DC charging (185kW) in that group. For routes where range anxiety or charger dwell time matter, that combination is hard to match among electrics in this class.
That strength comes with a real compromise in carrying capacity. Payload of 690kg and load volume of 3.9m³ both sit in the lowest quarter of 63 medium vans. The Ford E-Transit Custom Trend offers 870kg and 4.3m³, and the Citroën ë-Dispatch Enterprise manages 1,011kg and 4m³, both well ahead on practical capacity. Towing at 1,200kg is also below the medium-van median.
Priced at £37,690 excluding VAT and eligible for the plug-in van grant, it undercuts both the E-Transit Custom and ë-Dispatch electrics, and sits below the medium-van median. Against the diesel Mercedes Vito 116 Crew Van PRO, which carries more (773kg) for £42,040, the ID. Buzz makes sense mainly where electric range and charging speed are the priority over sheer payload.
Best for
- long daily routes needing maximum electric range
- operators who need fast top-ups between jobs
- budget-conscious buyers wanting an electric medium van
Think twice
- payload-sensitive work (690kg is low for the class)
- bulky or high-volume loads (3.9m³ is low for the class)
- regular trailer towing (1,200kg, below class median)
Written 8 October 2026 from the verified figures on this page and the rest of the THRIVE database, and checked figure by figure before publishing. How we check
What fits in the load area
| Euro pallets (1,200 x 800mm) | 2, in a single row |
|---|---|
| UK standard pallets (1,200 x 1,000mm) | 2, in a single row |
| 8 x 4 sheets (2,440 x 1,220mm) | Too long for the floor |
| Pipe, timber or ladders | Up to 2.2m on the floor |
Worked out from the verified floor length 2,232mm, 1,230mm between the wheel arches. At the full Euro pallet count, the payload allows about 340kg per pallet. Counts use the width between the wheel arches for the whole floor, so they never over-count. Door openings are not in our data: check the rear and side door apertures before relying on a count.
Electric or diesel?
How the Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo Commerce 79 kWh Single-speed auto (RWD) compares with Mercedes-Benz Vito 116 Crew Van PRO L2, the closest alternative across the electric line, for a typical working day.
Electric looks practical
- Range. 100 miles a day sits comfortably inside a planning range of about 194 miles, so an overnight charge covers the day.
- Payload. The electric version carries 83kg less (690kg against 773kg).
- Energy. Charging at a small-business depot costs about 8.1p a mile against 19.2p for diesel: roughly £2,775 a year less at 25,000 miles.
- Price. The electric version lists for no more than the diesel after the £5,000 zero emission van and truck grant.
How this is worked out
- Planning range is 70% of the official 277-mile WLTP figure, allowing for winter weather and a full load.
- Energy use 0.285 kWh a mile: the usable battery divided by the official range.
- Diesel 165.48p a litre excluding VAT (DESNZ, week of 2 November 2026); the Mercedes-Benz Vito 116 Crew Van PRO L2's official 39.2mpg.
- Electricity: 28.59p/kWh at a small-business depot (DESNZ, excluding VAT), 26.32p at home as the driver pays (Ofgem price cap), 65.83p on public rapid chargers (Zapmap, excluding VAT).
- 250 working days a year. List prices exclude VAT and options; running costs exclude servicing, insurance, tax and residual values.
Indicative only: a guide to whether electric is worth a closer look, not a quote. For whole-fleet costs see fleet charging costs and van break-even.
Alternatives worth considering
- Direct competitorFord E-Transit Custom Trend 320 LWB Low Roof Double Cab-In-Van (L2 H1), 71kWh 100kW / 136PS RWD£7,940 more, 180kg more payload, 0.4m³ more load space.
- Direct competitorCitroën ë-Dispatch Crew Van XL Electric 136hp Automatic Enterprise (75kWh)£6,670 more, 321kg more payload, 83 miles less official range.
- Combustion alternativeMercedes-Benz Vito 116 Crew Van PRO L2Diesel, 39.2mpg official, £4,350 more, 83kg more payload.
- Direct competitorVolkswagen e-Transporter T32 Kombi Commerce Plus LWB 136PS 70 kWh Electric 1-Speed Automatic£6,800 more, 162kg more payload, 59 miles less official range.
Chosen from published medium vans in the THRIVE database with a similar load area; reasons compare verified figures only.
Head to head: Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo vs Kia PV5 Cargo · Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo vs Ford Transit Custom
The Tuesday briefing
The week's fleet numbers and news, every Tuesday morning. Free.
One email a week. Unsubscribe in a click.
Sources
5 documents: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles UK, Volkswagen Vans UK price list (issue 21 July 2026), GOV.UK (OZEV)
- Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles UK, published 20 July 2026, retrieved 5 October 2026. Supports: load length (at floor), load width (maximum), load width between wheel arches, overall length, overall width (excluding mirrors). ID. Buzz Cargo brochure p13 "Dimensions" (Issue: 20 July 2026); the document is specific to the electric van (rule 4b); single ID. Buzz Cargo column; wing-door figure: Commerce standard equipment (p6) lists "Rear wing door without window aperture" and tailgates are options (4GX, 3RC). CAUTION: the same standard list also has "Tailgate latching without unlatching function from inside"; drop if the fact-check reads the standard door as a tailgate (then 2,208)
- Volkswagen Vans UK price list (issue 21 July 2026), retrieved 16 September 2026. Supports: list price (excluding vat), usable battery.
- GOV.UK (OZEV), retrieved 16 September 2026. Supports: zero emission van grant.
- Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles UK, retrieved 21 September 2026. Supports: gross battery, dc rapid charging (peak).
- Volkswagen Vans UK brochure (issue 20 July 2026), retrieved 16 September 2026. Supports: official range, energy use, test cycle, gross vehicle weight, payload, load volume, towing capacity (braked), ac charging (max), rapid charge time, warranty.
About these figures
- Specifications verified: 5 October 2026, against the manufacturer documents listed under Sources.
- Latest source added: 5 October 2026, the last time a figure on this page was added or corrected.
- Verdict written: 8 October 2026. It uses only the verified figures here and the THRIVE database; every number in it is checked against those figures, and it is rewritten only when they change.
Specifications vary by trim, engine, battery, length and roof height; these are for the Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo Commerce 79 kWh Single-speed auto (RWD) as named, a typical fleet specification. Range is the official WLTP combined figure; real-world range in winter or fully loaded will be lower. Check the manufacturer's current price list before ordering. If a figure here has changed, tell us on our corrections page.