VW unveils quintet of clean delivery vehicles at IAA Commercial Vehicle show

Volkswagen’s Commercial Vehicles arm has unveiled five new vehicles at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover. The most exciting debut is that of the I.D. Buzz Cargo – a practical sibling to the I.D. Buzz Microbus and a retro-styled throwback to the iconic Type 2.

Capable of over 300 miles on a charge, the I.D. Buzz Cargo features a ‘digital cargo system’, connecting the cockpit with the cargo space and helping the driver keep track of deliveries. Workers can benefit too, with built in 230V mains running through the cargo area meaning there’s power available for tools.

Though the I.D. Buzz is the most emotive of the vehicles revealed, the rest merit some attention, too. Sitting rather further down the range is the new Cargo e-Bike – a pedal-assisted trike intended as a smaller alternative to delivery vehicles such as the Renault Twizy. It’s capable of up to 15mph and can carry loads of up to 0.5 cubic metres in a stabilised compartment on the front.

There were also two production models unveiled – the e-Caddy and e-Transporter vans. They sit underneath the recently released e-Crafter, and offer alternatives to the very few non-diesel vans on sale. Both use a 110bhp electric motor, mated to a 37.3kWh battery pack as standard or an optional 74.6kWh unit in the Transporter. This gives the vans theoretical maximum ranges of up to 137 miles and 250 miles respectively.

The final reveal is the Crafter HyMotion – a different approach to zero-emissions mobility. With a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain, it produces no pollutants from the tailpipe but can be filled up in just a few minutes – rather than the 30+ minutes it would take to recharge a battery van.