VWN resumes production of the ID. Buzz in Hanover

ID. Buzz vehicles are coming off the production line again in Hanover. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWN) has resumed production, which was interrupted for a week due to quality problems with the battery. In the course of the week, the level before the break is expected to be reached again.

“Production of the ID Buzz at the VWN plant in Hanover has restarted as scheduled on 4 July 2022,” a company spokesperson told Automobilwoche. The problem has been identified and fixed, he added. Now new batteries will be delivered that fully meet VWN’s quality standards.

As reported, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles had suspended production of the ID. Buzz in Hanover for an initial period of one week. The reason: quality problems with the battery. According to the local publication Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, some of the cell modules did not deliver the desired performance. The result was voltage drops, which reduce the range of the vehicle and may also have a negative impact on its lifespan.

The battery cell was from a new supplier, therefore, only the Hanover plant is affected and not the other MEB plants. In Zwickau and Emden battery cells from LGES from the Wroclaw plant are installed. As VW told Automobilwoche, the problem was discovered during internal tests. It was due to “adjustments in the supplier’s production”. The problem has now been solved there.

Since the start of production at the beginning of the month, around 500 units of the ID. Buzz have been produced, but not yet delivered to customers. The vehicles produced so far were intended as demonstration cars for dealers and test cars. Now they are being checked to see whether they are affected by the fault, so that the battery can be replaced if necessary.

Despite the interruption in production, the carmaker is sticking to the planned start of deliveries in October. According to the report, a good 200 ID. Buzz were not built during the one-week production stop, which VWN says can be made up “without any problems”. VWN had been building 45 ID. Buzz per day. Daily production is to be increased to 180 vehicles by the end of the year.

With reporting by Domenico Sciurti, Germany.

automobilwoche.de (in German)