Image Credits:<\/strong> Volkswagen\/James Lipman<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

All that cool means demand, and Volkswagen only plans to build the entire world\u2019s supply of ID.Buzz vans at a single factory in Hanover, Germany. The facility has a manufacturing capacity of 100,000 vehicles a year. \u201cI think we\u2019re going to be overwhelmed next year with orders,\u201d Di Si told TechCrunch.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s typically bad news for customers trying to purchase a high-profile vehicle. When demand for the Ford Bronco quickly outstripped supply, dealerships started tacking on outrageous markups. Di Si and Volkswagen want to combat that.<\/p>\n

Di Si said that he was talking to dealers about this issue. He\u2019s not sure what the solution is just yet, but he told journalists, \u201cWe need to respect the consumers.\u201d He later said the one thing that should strike fear into the hearts of dealerships: \u201cWe can not have markups on this vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the solutions the CEO floated was an online order system that had a set price that couldn\u2019t have a markup added and was delivered by a dealer. Some Bronco owners dealt with surprise markups above what they thought they were paying when they ordered their SUVs online. The customer would receive a noye that their new SUV was at the dealership but now with a higher price tag. Volkswagen doesn\u2019t want that to happen.<\/p>\n

Di Si did say that the ID.Buzz is going be a huge vehicle for after-market accessories and that could appease the dealer networks. They might not get the big pile of markup cash up front, but they\u2019ll be able to upsell items to new owners hoping to trick out their new van as they drive whimsically into a bygone era of VW microbuses in a fancy new EV.<\/p>\n

That said, don\u2019t expect to be able to pick one up in the showroom. With demand as high as they predict, the only real way to get one is via an online order \u2014 and even then, it\u2019s going to be tough.<\/p>\n

Which puts VW in a weird position. It doesn\u2019t want to take a customer\u2019s money and then deliver the van two years later. It would rather end sales once the allotted vehicles are all spoken for. But that means money left on the table if demand is more than double what the company can build. Di Si did say that they might consider building the Buzz at an additional facility if it made sense financially.<\/p>\n

There will be other variants of the Buzz coming in the near future. This likely includes the coveted camper van. VW wants to keep the interest going. The automaker knows it has a hype machine on its hands and it\u2019s trying to keep the Buzz in the minds of potential customers for as long as possible. Sure, they might not all want to wait for an electric minivan, but while they\u2019re poking around Volkswagen\u2019s site, they might find themselves building an ID.4 or ID.7 \u2014 and to VW, the weird nostalgia van has done its job.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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