Something to look forward to: It's no secret that traditional gas-powered carmakers are starting to shift more of their resources towards electric vehicles, and Volkswagen's announcement is proof of that. The company has unveiled concept images and details regarding two of its upcoming electric vehicles: the "I.D. Buzz Cargo" delivery van and the "Cargo e-Bike."
The Buzz Cargo is the latest addition to Volkswagen's family of "fully-connected" electric vehicles, all of which use the I.D. branding. The Buzz Cargo, in particular, will supposedly be capable of traveling up to 340 miles on a single charge.
That number could go even higher if the van's built-in solar panels work as Volkswagen describes. On average, the tech may enable the van to travel an extra 9.3 miles per day. That isn't much extra distance by itself, but it will undoubtedly begin to add up over time for commercial customers.
Range aside, the Buzz Cargo could also feature "I.D. Pilot," which is a "fully autonomous" driving mode that Volkswagen is working on behind the scenes. Not much is known about the system at this time, however.
The Buzz Cargo house a "digital cargo" system, though it's unclear what that term refers to. Perhaps drivers will be able to see a virtual representation of the packages they're carting around without the need to dig around in the back. Indeed, the concept image above reveals an iPad-like display that could serve that purpose.
As mentioned before, the Buzz Cargo isn't the only new EV Volkswagen is working on - there's also the three-wheeled Cargo e-Bike. The e-Bike's primary role will be that of a more versatile and maneuverable last-mile delivery vehicle.
In theory, the e-Bike should be able to fit into areas where a full-sized truck or van can't, while still boasting the ability to carry a whopping 463 pounds of cargo at any given time. We don't know how much range the e-Bike will have, but it probably won't matter as it's clearly not intended for long-distance travel.
Volkswagen says the Cargo e-Bike is expected to launch in 2019, while the I.D. Buzz Cargo could release in 2022. Bear in mind that both vehicles are merely concepts at the moment, and they will likely be heavily tweaked before their official launch - assuming they launch at all.