• Not a particularly efficient electric car
• New, bigger battery has improved range
• Should still manage 200 miles per charge

What are the running costs?

If you can charge it up at home on an EV-friendly energy tariff, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz could be quite cheap to run. It’s far from being the most energy efficient electric car on sale, though. It’s big, heavy and shaped like a house brick, so you won’t get as many miles from a single charge as you would from the mechanically identical ID. 4 SUV.

Volkswagen says its new 79kWh battery pack and 286hp motor has boosted the five-seat model’s WLTP driving range from 258 to 282 miles. The twin-motor GTX variant is less efficient. The extra motor on the front axle cuts the MPV’s maximum range down to 254 miles which, in fairness, isn’t a huge difference. However, the performance difference between the two models isn’t worth sacrificing range for.

You can improve your lot by opting for the long-wheelbase Buzz, as that comes with a larger 86kWh battery. But, because it’s dragging around a load of extra metal and two more seats, it only pushes the MPV’s official range up to 290 miles. We reckon both versions of the Buzz will have a real-world range of just over 200 miles.

If you only need a five-seat electric car, we recommend you think carefully about whether the Buzz is right for you. If you can do without the standard Buzz’s cavernous boot capacity (which we’d wager most drivers can), the Kia EV6 is a far more convenient electric car to own, thanks to its real-world range of more than 300 miles.

If you desperately need seven seats, we’d sooner steer you towards the Kia EV9 Air. It shares its underpinnings with the EV6 (so, it’s ruthlessly efficient and lightning fast to charge). However, because it has an enormous 99.8kWh battery, it also has a real-world range of 300 miles. If you’re prepared to drive it carefully at least.

Servicing and warranty

In better news on the running costs front, the ID. Buzz comes with three years’ of servicing and your first MOT included in the purchase price. Plus, if you finance it through Volkswagen Financial Services you’ll get a wallbox charger as well.

Service intervals are set at a lengthy two years, regardless of mileage. That’s simply because there are fewer moving parts in an electric vehicle. Volkswagen’s warranty is three years or 100,000 miles, but you can extend that up to five years or 150,000 miles. The battery pack is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles as standard.

Reliability

• Volkswagen’s MEB cars have suffered problems
• The updated Buzz gets some new technology
• Should be more reliable than a petrol MPV

Electric vehicles should be more reliable than petrol vehicles, as they have fewer moving parts. But Volkswagen hasn’t had the best of luck with the software powering its MEB cars. We’ll monitor how the MPV’s electrical systems perform now they’ve been updated and report back on any issues.

Previous versions of the Buzz have also experienced a production shortage due to battery problems and a global recall due to an issue with a tyre supplier. So, while we’d hope for smoother sailing from this point on, we suggest you proceed with caution.

If you own or drive a Volkswagen ID. Buzz already, why not leave an owner’s review to help other readers learn from your experience?