VW expands electric lineup with big, small cargo haulers

LOS ANGELES — Volkswagen is signaling the broad range of its coming electric vehicle portfolio with a pair of production-intent commercial concepts aimed at delivering cargo under battery power.

The I.D. Buzz Cargo concept is the largest vehicle to come from the German automaker's flexible MEB electric vehicle platform, using an expanded version of its retro-styled electric microbus concept with a large rear cargo area instead of seats and a larger battery capable of achieving up to 340 miles of range.

The slab-sided I.D. Buzz Cargo is powered by a 201-hp rear-mounted electric motor and features roof-mounted solar panels to add up to 9.3 miles of range per day, Volkswagen says. The I.D. Buzz Cargo, a callback to the automaker's original Transporter commercial vehicle, "could be launched as a production vehicle in Europe as early as 2022," Volkswagen said. The automaker did not express any intention to sell the I.D. Buzz Cargo in the U.S., where Volkswagen doesn't market a commercial vehicle portfolio.

On the other end of the size spectrum, Volkswagen showed a three-wheeled, battery-assisted electric bike that it says can deliver packages in pedestrian-only city centers with an attached 17.7-cubic-foot cargo box mounted between the front two wheels. Volkswagen says its Cargo e-Bike can carry a payload of 463 pounds and is expected to enter production in 2019.