Volkswagen plans 3 versions of ID Buzz van

BERLIN -- Volkswagen plans to launch three different versions of its upcoming full-electric ID Buzz van, aimed at markets in Europe and the U.S.

In Europe, a six-seat passenger version will be aimed at "ride-pooling" services. Rear seats will be individually accessible and will have a separate information screen for each passenger.

The U.S. will get a ride-hailing variant, focused on customers traveling alone or in small groups. It will have only four seats -- two facing forward and two facing toward the rear of the vehicle.

A third version, the ID Buzz Cargo, will be a commercial van, largely aimed at parcel delivery companies, which are growing because of the online shopping boom.

The ID Buzz is due to go is sale late next year in Europe and in 2024 in the U.S.

VW is testing ID Buzz prototypes with Level 4 autonomy -- meaning the vehicles can drive themselves under certain conditions -- to be ready for commercial transport of people and goods for 2025.

The automaker sees potential for a self-driving delivery van.

During the company's Strategy 2030 presentation on July 13, it showed a self-driving ID Buzz with the driver's seat facing toward the rear of the vehicle instead of toward the road ahead.

Christian Senger, VW's head of development for autonomous driving, said an autonomous ID Buzz Cargo would eliminate the requirement for a human driver and would make parcel delivery more productive.

"Our answer is autonomous delivery vans for the distribution networks of tomorrow, where delivery workers no longer need driver's licenses and become passengers who focus on their loads and the order of deliveries," Senger said during the company's Strategy 2030 presentation on July 13.

Senger said VW expects 70 billion euros in revenue from mobility services in the five largest European markets by 2030.

VW plans to select autonomous mobility solutions in certain markets by 2025. The company sees substantial revenue potential from offerings including ride sharing, as well as automated parcel delivery services.