By Edward A. Sanchez – Feb. 3, 2020
Volkswagen has flirted with a revival of its storied Microbus for approaching 20 years. Earlier iterations were conceived to be powered by an internal-combustion engine. The more compact Bulli concept in 2011 was showcased with an electric powertrain, four years before the infamous “Dieselgate” scandal of 2015. However, VW designed the Bulli to potentially accommodate an ICE powertrain for a production-intent model.
In 2017, the I.D. Buzz concept was shown, and by this time, Volkswagen was publicly all-in on an electrified future. From Woodstock-nostalgic Boomers to eco-conscious Millennials, a broad swath of potential car buyers were intrigued by the retro-futuristic electric van.
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(Bulli and I.D. Buzz images courtesy Volkswagen)
However, the I.D. Buzz (now rumored to be named ID.7 in production guise) suddenly had some new competition come 2019.
Canoo (formerly Evelozcity) was born from former BMW, Faraday Future, and Uber executives, and publicly debuted its electrified people-mover in September 2019. As has become trendy lately, Canoo’s business model is built around a “subscription.” The company claims the open-ended subscription is all-inclusive, encompassing registration, maintenance, insurance, and charging. Specific rates for the subscription have not been announced, other than Canoo claiming they’ll be “affordable.”
Beyond the unconventional ownership model, the Canoo also claims to be the first series-production vehicle with a completely steer-by-wire steering system, and the company is claiming regulatory compliance with system redundancy. Among the claimed benefits to this approach is easy cabin configurability for both right-hand-drive or left-hand-drive markets.
With longer-term shared mobility in mind, the Canoo employs a “bring your own screen” approach to controls and instrumentation, with users utilizing their own smartphone for personalization settings.
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(Canoo images courtesy Canoo)
Specifics on the production-intent ID.7 have not yet been revealed, but the concept had a retractable steering wheel with an eye on future autonomous operation. The production model is expected to employ a more conventional tiller, but the overall theme and flavor of the I.D. Buzz should make the transition to production.
The question is which model will consumers gravitate towards? Will people accept the Canoo’s unconventional styling, usage and payment model, and sterile modern functionality, or will they get all warm and fuzzy over Volkswagen’s nostalgia-themed vision of the future? We should soon find out, with both models scheduled to be on the road in 2021.
Handicapping the odds, we’d have to give the edge to Volkswagen, for the following reasons:
Name Recognition: Volkswagen has officially been in the U.S. for 65 years. Almost every American has heard of Volkswagen, and most have a story or memory involving a VW of some sort, be it the Beetle, Microbus, Rabbit, or the later Golf or Jetta.
Dealer Network: Volkswagen has a network of more than 600 dealerships from coast-to-coast.
The Nostalgia Factor: The importance of this is debatable, as the number of customers that grew up with the Microbus as a fixture of their youth and young adulthood is dwindling. However, looking at the current prices of classic Microbuses, demand is still plenty strong for the proverbial “hippie bus,” and in areas like coastal California, restored Microbuses are still a fixture on the roads.
Could Canoo, the edgy, Bauhaus (their description, not ours) futuristic, minimalist urban lounge surprise everyone with its upstart success? Perhaps. But in a head-to-head face-off, Volkswagen has a substantial, and some would argue, insurmountable head start.
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