VW Announces 2025 ID. Buzz EPA-estimated Range

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“Your typical city involved in a typical daydream. . . .”

By Gary S. Vasilash

Dead & Company played 30 shows at the Sphere in Las Vegas in July and earlier this month to legions of dedicated Deadheads, a large percentage of whom are pushing into or out of their middle years.

The venue seats 18,600 people, so over 30 shows that means 558,000.

The Microbus and the 2025 VW ID. Buzz. (Image: Volkswagen of America)

Presumably a percentage of them will be interested in the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, the electric evolution of the beloved Microbus.

Almost a built-in audience for the band. (Which didn’t go unrecognized by VW, as it had a display of the vehicles—old and new—at the Sphere.)

VW has revealed the EPA-estimated range for these EV vans, which will become available in the U.S. later this year.

Rear-wheel drive models will achieve 234 miles, while the 4Motion (a.k.a., AWD) models will go 231 miles before charging.

That three-mile difference is not a big deal, even for those who have a history of racking up many miles following their favorite musicians, be they the Dead or otherwise.

There are there models in the lineup:

  • Pro S. It is a RWD model that starts at $59,995
  • Pro S Plus. This starts at $63,495 for RWD. The AWD model starts at $67,995.
  • 1st Edition. This is the special setup. It starts at $65,495 for RWD and $69,995. This is the one that the people who are really interested in tributes—to the Microbus, not necessarily Dark Star Orchestra or Bearly Dead—as it comes in two-tone pain schemes: Candy White top with Cabana Blue, Energetic Orange, Mahi Green, Metro Silver, or Pomelo Yellow below. All would look good with a dancing bear sticker or several. And just as important as the look is the sound: a 700-Watt harman/Kardon audio system.

“Chicago, New York, Detroit and it’s all the same street. . . .”

2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid XLE

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Capability counts. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

There are two things that someone who is buying a compact car wants, even though these two things aren’t written about a great deal.

One is size.

The second is performance.

Now admittedly, when someone is interested in a compact car, they want something, well, compact.

Not small.

Not tiny.

But not medium.

Not large.

This may be a financial consideration.

Or it simply may be that it makes sense.

A metric that I consider when behind the wheel of a compact car is whether I feel comfortable in it vis-à-vis the other vehicles on the road. And where I drive there is a high proportion of light-duty pickups and full-size SUVs.

There are few things worse that driving in congested traffic surrounded by giant vehicles—a Chevy Suburban is more than 18 feet long, 6.5 feet wide and over 6 feet high; an F-150 is 17 feet long, 8 feet wide and 6 feet high—and wondering whether you’re going to be seen.

Toyota Corolla Hybrid: competent and capable. (Image: Toyota)

The Corolla Hybrid is 182.3 inches long (about 15 feet), 70.1 inches wide (just under 6 feet) and 56.5 inches high (under 5 feet).

And it seems as though it has the size to allow one to drive with confidence.

Then there is the issue of performance.

This is something that has to be considered in the classic “horses for courses” sense.

Meaning that the Corolla Hybrid is meant to drive people in their daily activities not the Nürburgring.

The Corolla Hybrid has a system horsepower (which means what it gets from the engine and the motor) of 138. Which is pretty much a meaningless number.

The “performance” characteristic is: Can the vehicle drive on a freeway and have enough oomph to be able to deal with everything from full-size sedans and semis—and do so at speed?

And so having spent time on I-75 with it, I found the answer to that question is “yes.”

No, I didn’t blow the doors off of anything.

But I was able to maneuver with sufficient alacrity such that I was able to keep moving at a brisk pace.

And then, of course, there is the fact that this is a high fuel-efficient vehicle.

The sticker has it at 53 mpg city, 46 mpg highway and 50 mpg combined.

My combined was 49 mpg (most of the miles were accumulated on the highway).

This means that I could have driven approximately 550 miles before having to stop for a tank of gas (it has an 11.3-gallon tank).

So while that is comparatively thrifty (with the national average of a gallon of regular being $3.50, that means 550 miles for under $40), there is nothing about the way the Corolla Hybrid operates, nor about its interior execution and amenities, that makes you think “econo-box.”

A good thing.

EV Public Charging Isn’t Doing Much Better

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J.D. Power sees improvement. But were we grading on the usual scale. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

The J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Public Charging Study is out, and the research firm finds improvement in that experience.

Sort of.

Said Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power, “While the customer satisfaction scores for public charging continues to prompt concern, the results offer reasons for optimism.”

He’s undoubtedly an optimistic individual.

The study found that on a 1,000-point scale, the satisfaction with speed at Level 2 chargers has dropped 4 points to 451.

DC fast charger speed is more satisfying, up from 588 in 2023 to 622.

While that 34 point bump is good, remember Power is using a 1,000-point scale, so if you were in school and got that 622 on a test. . . .

And then there is the issue of non-charging. As in showing up at a charging station and not being able to charge.

Power found 19% of the surveyed EV owners had that problem. A one-point improvement over 2023.

The researchers found that nationwide 61% said the reason there was a wasted visit was because the charger was out of service or didn’t work.

Huh?

The average transaction price for an electric vehicle in July was $56,520, according to the latest figures from Kelley Blue Book.

So someone buys an EV for that price, glides into a charging station—and nearly one out of five times has to leave because the damn thing doesn’t work.

Yes, some 80% of EV owners charge at home, but that means some 20% of EV drivers don’t.

In addition to which, some of the 80% of EV drivers who charge at home are likely to take trips at some point—vacation or business—which could likely mean they need to charge along the way.

And they’re likely to find some 20% of those chargers out of order.

GM Adds More Solar

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Because factories have a large carbon footprint. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Although the public-facing efforts vehicle manufacturers are making with regard to their environmental credentials are mainly focused on the electrification of vehicles, if the total lifecycle assessment (LCA) of a given light vehicle is assessed, there is an element of that vehicle that is responsible for a considerable amount of emissions: manufacturing.

For a gasoline vehicle, production can account for 23% of its LCA.

Solar in Arkansas will be used to power GM factories in Michigan and Missouri. (Image: GM)

For an electric vehicle, which has, of course, no tailpipe, the factory accounts for as much as 46% of its carbon footprint.

To address factory-related emissions, GM has signed an agreement to source solar power generated electricity for three of its assembly plants.

Electricity will be provided to the Lansing Delta Township Assembly, Lansing Grand River Assembly, and Wentzville Assembly plants via a 15-year renewable energy purchase agreement with NorthStar Clean Energy.

NorthStar’s solar facility in Newport, Arkansas, will be generating the renewable energy that will be sent up to Michigan (for the two Lansing plants) and Missouri (Wentzville).

According to GM, as it has sourcing agreements with 17 renewable energy plants it is the auto industry’s largest buyer of renewable power by capacity, based on BloombergNEF stats.

The vehicle manufacturer plans to have all of its U.S. factories powered by renewables by the end of 2025.

Odds are, unlike predictions of when a given lineup will be full EV, that 2025 plan is undoubtedly going to happen.

Bridgestone & the Eight Es

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A new tire for lux trucks & SUVs developed to deliver performance—and on sustainability concerns, too

By Gary S. Vasilash

Bridgestone Americas, as you probably know, makes tires of all types and sizes. (Yes, the usual phrase is “all shapes and sizes,” but the tires are all round, so a bit of modification was required.)

But what you probably don’t now is that Bridgestone has what it calls its “E8 Commitment,” which is part of its sustainability efforts.

The eight are:

  • Energy
  • Ecology
  • Efficiency
  • Extension
  • Economy
  • Emotion
  • Ease
  • Empowerment

The company has just released the Dueler A/T Ascent tire for luxury and high-end trucks and SUVs.

It is designed to provide on-road manners that one would expect from a premium tire for a premium vehicle.

But given that it is a truck or SUV it may be called upon not only for a daily commute but a weekend drive that may take the vehicle off road, so the tire is engineered with a tread pattern that provides the traction needed in those conditions, as well as in the wet and during the winter.

As Jeremy Norwood, Chief Engineer, Consumer Replacement Product Engineering, put it,    “Our mission with Ascent was to develop a luxury truck tire that could tackle the trails on the weekends without sacrificing the comfort of the daily commute.”  

So, given that (as well as a 60,000-mile limited warranty and fitment for up to 22-inch rims),  what area the E’s that the Dueler A/T Ascent encompass.

[Think about it for a moment. The answer is after the tire picture.]

Bridgestone Dueler A/T Ascent. (Image: Bridgestone)

The answer:

  • Emotion
  • Extension

No, I can’t explain it. Either.

Owls and EVs

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Nature meets AI for an EV deployment

By Gary S. Vasilash

(Image: MAHLE)

Is this some sort of artwork in the style of Louise Nevelson?

No.

It is a section of a fan-blade developed by automotive supplier MAHLE for fuel cell and electric commercial vehicles.

About the design of the “bionic fan blade,” Dr. Uli Christian Blessing, Head of Thermal Management Development at MAHLE, said:

“We learn from nature, it inspires us in many areas! . . . With the help of AI, we analyzed the peculiarities of bats, swordfish and many other ideas from nature and finally ended up with the owl, the silent hunter, as the main template for our new fan.”

The fan is said to provide a 4 dB(A) reduction in noise compared with a conventional fan. That’s a cut of about 50%.

In addition, it is 10% more efficient and 10% lighter than a typical fan.

The company plans to extend the fan deployment to passenger cars.

Apparently one of the times when the noise abatement is key is during charging. MAHLE says the quieter operation “increases comfort for drivers and residents alike.”

As well as people taking a stroll through the Walmart parking lot, where plenty of charging occurs.

2024 Genesis GV60 Performance AWD

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It can cause envy. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

I had the interior designer from another car company in the 2024 Genesis GV60.

He looked at that glowing orb embedded in the center console of the vehicle that recently won the J.D. Power U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study in the small premium SUV category.

Yes, that is a glowing orb in the center console. (Images: Genesis)

That orb is actually called the “Crystal Sphere.”

It glows.

When the vehicle is started the sphere rolls over and exposes a dial that allows the gear selection (which is perhaps not as accurate a term given that the GV60 is an electric vehicle, and while EVs do have gears, they don’t have traditional transmissions with multiple gears that have to be run through for motive power, which explains, in part, why EVs have that torque from the get-go and why they are more efficient than ICE vehicles because there aren’t the mechanical losses).

The designer was intrigued by the Crystal Sphere, which I suppose is why it exists in the vehicle, although I think that the fit and finish—as well as execution and layout—of the rest of the interior is sufficiently interesting in and of itself, as in things like the patterns on the seating surfaces (which, like other items in the interior, are made from eco-friendly materials, but materials that seem like they are leather, for example).

Intriguing, all.

He told me that he thought that it was quite cool.

But then he began wondering aloud about the level of difficulty of fixing it were it to go wrong.

And then going back and forth, weighing the pluses and minuses, he finally concluded:

“We would never be able to use anything like that.”

And I could detect a bit of regret in his tone.

Elementary. . .

It’s the first dedicated EV model from Genesis.

When it was introduced, Luc Donckerwolke, chief creative officer of Genesis, said: “The GV60 is a symbolic model that materializes the unique values and the sensibilities that Genesis stands for. It offers a satisfying experience to our customers who want something valuable, but different.”

It can be opened with your face. (There is a near infrared camera in the B-pillar.)

It can be started with your fingerprint. (Further underscoring the notion of this is more than a crossover, but a highly sophisticated, comfortable, computer on wheels.)

It has two 160 kW motors, one in the front, one in the back. Which means 320 kW or 429 hp.

It has a 77.4-kWh battery that can be charged on a fast charger (>250 kW) from 10 to 80% in 18 minutes.

It—as in the model in question here—does have eco-friendly, but the seats are Nappa leather, which comes from things with four legs.

It has a 14-way power adjustable driver seat that not only has power lumbar (four-way), but even a cushion extension. (Notably, all trims have this seat.)

It has an infotainment system accessed via a 12.3-inch LCD display. The “tainment” portion is predicated on a 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

It can tow. 2,000 pounds.

It has 101.1 cubic feet of passenger volume (think five people but two happier ones if they’re not joined by a third in the back seat).

It has 24 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the second row.

It has a 0.71-cubic foot frunk (think small microwave oven).

It has an EPA estimated range of 235 miles.

It has a starting MSRP of $69,550.

BMW’s Seat of Tomorrow

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At some point everything will come together and what is a concept now is likely to become a serially produced product. Or at least elements will

By Gary S. Vasilash

The BMW M Visionary Materials Seat—designed by BMW Group Designworks with the BMW design team; supported by Automotive Management Consulting GmbH, Bcomp Ltd, Gradel Lightweight Sàrl, and Lasso Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH—was recognized in the Sustainable Process category in the Altair Enlighten Awards presented last week during the 2024 Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars.

And some of you have probably already seen it and are thinking that I’m slow to the draw here.

The BMW M Visionary Materials Seat. On the left you can see a printed foam structure. On the right those are the fiber-would support elements use. (Image: BMW)

I wanted to get a bit more info on the seat, about which Falco Hollmann, Innovation Manager Lightweight Design & Sustainability at BMW M GmbH, said: “We are showing today what will be possible tomorrow with existing technologies and materials in order to take our efforts to reduce emissions and conserve resources to the next level. This is about more than just substituting materials; it is above all about designing for circularity.”

Many reports have it that it doesn’t have a support structure, which may make it sound like it is, well, floppy. Which wouldn’t be particularly effective as a seat.

Although it doesn’t have a conventional seat structure, it does have structural elements.

For example, there are robotically wound fiber composite elements (the black stick-like pieces on the object on the right of the photo) that form a load-carrying core structure.

Then there is the blueish/white mesh structure that you can see on the left side of the photo in the center part of the seat, which, according to a BMW spokesperson, is “made from a soft, gel-supported (reusable) structure from an additive manufacturing technology.”

(That is not a cutaway of the seat. It is designed with a minimalist approach so that foam component is visible.)

One of the things associated with the development of the seat is LCA: life cycle assessment. From start to finish—and beyond.

There is another factor taken into account, something less familiar than LCA: SQR.

That’s “secondary raw materials quota.”

A goal was to use materials that would go on to have a post-seat useful existence without additional processing steps (as would be the case with typical recycling), which led to the deployment of natural fibers, fiber composites, leather alternatives and algae-based polymers.

One of the important aspects of the development of the seat is the learnings obtained that can be applied to things that aren’t merely concepts.

Roberto Rossetti, Head of Development Total Vehicle-Lifecycle at the BMW Group:

“One of our biggest lessons was the balancing, in other words, how to model our process chain to generate missing primary data. The data obtained provides new insights, both in terms of today’s negative contributing factors and the design of tomorrow’s processes. This experience provides a solid foundation for continuously improving sustainability and developing innovative solutions for forward-thinking mobility.”

EVs Here & There

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Still small(ish) numbers. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

The European Union is ahead of the U.S. in the acceptance of electric vehicles. That is, according to Cox Automotive, in 2023 the EV share of the U.S. vehicle market was 7.6%.

The European Union has just reported that in 2023 the number of EVs registered represents 14.6%.

What’s interesting about the 2023 number in the U.S. is that Cox Automotive reckonings show that Tesla sales represented 55% of all EV sales in the U.S.

There are now 30 brands offering EVs in the U.S., including Tesla, yet the company that seems to be going out of favor through the first half of 2024 has 49.7% of the market.

Taking out its estimated (it doesn’t provide clarity about sales in particular countries, including the U.S.) 304,451 vehicles from the 2024 first half total of 599,372, that means there were a total of 294,921 EVs sold in the U.S. in the first half of 2024.

To put that into perspective, in the first half of 2024 there were 248,295 Toyota RAV4s sold in the U.S.

So this means that 29 vehicle brands sold 46,626 more vehicles than a single model.

Questions

It is easy to get excited about percentage increases until they are contextualized.

Will the number of EVs on offer continue to grow? Yes.

Will the number of EVs sold increase as they become available in different segments? Yes.

Will growth in EV sales continue should there be a change in Washington that eliminates the incentives to buy an EV?

There’s the question that doesn’t have an answer.

But there’s something that provides perhaps of a hint in Germany.

Cautionary tale?

Meanwhile, back in Europe, EV growth continues, primarily because of government support and/or regulations.

According to T&E, “Europe’s leading advocates for clean transport and energy,” during the first half of 2024 EV sales were up in the EU by 9.4%–but that’s by leaving out the largest car market, Germany.

With Germany, the EV sales grew in the EU by 1.3%.

The organization’s Lucien Mathieu, cars director, said, “Germany is the sick man of Europe when it comes to electric cars. Meanwhile, markets which have strong, predictable incentives for EV adoption are reaping the rewards.”

At the end of 2023 Germany stopped providing a subsidy for the purchase of an electric vehicle. T&E calculates that that caused a 16.4% decrease in EV sales in Germany in the first half of 2024.

According to T&E:

“In the first half of 2024, EV sales grew in markets with supportive regulatory environments:

  • In France, which has a social leasing scheme to provide cheap electric cars to low-income households, BEV sales increased by 14.9% in H1 2024;
  • In Italy, BEV sales increased by 7.0% in the first half of the year, with a sales peak in June 2024 when new EV incentives were launched;
  • In Belgium, the company car segment drove the BEV market with a 47.8% increase in the first half of the year;
  • In the UK, the ZEV mandate has driven the BEV market, with sales increasing by 9.2% in H1 2024.”

Which raises a question: are “markets which have strong, predictable incentives” real markets or artificial ones?

Germany has some appealing EVs from small VWs to generally lauded BMWs to Mercedes lux.

And it is not like no one is buying EVs in Germany: T&E has EV sales in the first half representing 12.5% of the market.

Still, given the amount of investment and attention paid to EVs, the numbers seem somewhat small.

There. And here.

Ford’s Latest Police Interceptor Utility

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Things you probably don’t want to know about. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Here’s something you probably don’t want to experience: aspects of the standard features offered in the new 2025 Police Interceptor Utility:

Police Perimeter Alert. . . Police Engine Idle. . . Police Dark Car Feature. . . Rear Camera on Demand. . . H8 AGM Battery. . . Blind Spot Monitoring with Cross-Traffic Alert . . .Manual Police Pursuit Mode – Steering Wheel Switch Execution. . . Red/White Dome Lamp – Cargo Area. . . Rearview Camera with Washer Viewable in 8″ Center Stack Screen. . . Ford Pro Upfit Integration System. . . Keyless Entry with 4 Manual Keys. . . 6-Way Power Passenger Seat. . . Police Accessory Independent Timed-Release Output (PAITRO) – Output Tied to Liftgate Release Switch. . . Climate Control – Rear Aux A/C System. . . Updated Police Grade Cloth Trim Seat Material. . . 12.3″ Digital Instrument Cluster with Certified Calibration. . . Keyless Entry – Key FOB Only (Less PATS). . . Simple Fleet Key (w/o microchip, easy to replace: 4-keys). . . Two 50-amp power distribution junction box

The 2025 Ford Police Interceptor Utility. Departments looking for fuel economy can opt for a hybrid powertrain. (Image: Ford)

Seems like the only thing you’d really be interested in were you to find yourself in the back of one is that rear aux A/C system. And perhaps the seating material.

The rest of the stuff is germane to the professionals.

The Police Interceptor is based on the Explorer that you can find in a dealer near you.

But this vehicle isn’t simply an Explorer with additional lights and a profoundly different paint scheme.

It is engineered to be a police vehicle. It is being offered through Ford Pro, underlining that this is a commercial, not consumer, vehicle.

There are three powertrain options. There is a 3.3-liter V6 that produces 285 hp. A 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 that produces up to 400 hp—but that’s if the vehicle is using Premium gas, which is probably not something that municipalities are in favor of.

And there is a 3.3-liter V6-based hybrid that produces a system output of 318 hp.

One of the arguments that Ford makes for the hybrid is that the onboard equipment operates even when the engine shuts off. This, it is calculated, means a savings of up to 838 gallons of gas per year because the engine isn’t idling so that various things in the vehicle work.

So, if gas is at $3.50 per gallon, this can translate into a savings of $17,500 over a six-year period.

Which matters as budgets at municipalities are stretched.

(Here’s something interesting: the new consumer version of the Explorer is not offered with a hybrid, something that had been available before the recent midcycle refresh. Given the popularity of that powertrain—as consumers budgets are being stretched—it seems likely Ford may rectify that. After all, they like fuel efficiency, too.)