 Hey, it's Andy with The Verge. Volkswagen put out its new microbus concept, the ID Buzz here in Detroit. As you can see, it's a total blast from the past. The ID Buzz is an all-electric, fully autonomous microbus that's meant to harken back to Volkswagen's glory days. You know, peace signs and flower power. It wouldn't be the fastest electric vehicle out there with a top speed of only 99 miles per hour. With a 200 kilowatt electric motor and a charging range of only 270 miles, it also wouldn't be the most powerful EV. What it does have, however, is the ability to make a direct appeal to two demographic groups, nostalgic baby boomers and tech-obsessed millennials. It's a brilliant marketing strategy, but the question is, will Volkswagen ever make this thing? Volkswagen says the microbus could make it into production by 2025, but that seems overly optimistic. The German automaker released a different microbus concept last year, the Buddy, and neither of these cars seem to really have any basis in reality. But that doesn't make them any less fun to obsess over, especially with futuristic features like mood lighting, retractable steering wheels, and driver seats that can swivel 180 degrees. Another sweet add-on is Volkswagen's ID Pass, a cloud-based user profile that stores specific settings for both drivers and passengers. That means every time you get in, the car will automatically adjust everything to your liking, seat position, air conditioning, music, you name it. But it's important not to let cool concepts like these distract from the overall problem, which is Volkswagen's ongoing diesel emissions cheating scandal. Right before Detroit kicked off, a senior executive was arrested by the FBI on charges of conspiring to defraud US customers. It's a really big problem for the company. They have billions of dollars tied up in settlements. But in the meantime, we've got cool concepts like these to look at. Anyway, Volkswagen will always have a place in America's cultural identity. Vehicles like the Bug, the Beetle, and the Microbus are icons, and it's really cool to see the company continuing to play around with these classic models as it looks further into the future. The German automaker released a different Microbus concept last year. This is awesome. I've never rotated in a bus before.
 Hey, it's Andy with The Verge.
 Volkswagen put out its new microbus concept, the ID Buzz here in Detroit.
 As you can see, it's a total blast from the past.
 The ID Buzz is an all-electric, fully autonomous microbus that's meant to harken back to Volkswagen's
 glory days.
 You know, peace signs and flower power.
 It wouldn't be the fastest electric vehicle out there with a top speed of only 99 miles
 per hour.
 With a 200 kilowatt electric motor and a charging range of only 270 miles, it also wouldn't
 be the most powerful EV.
 What it does have, however, is the ability to make a direct appeal to two demographic
 groups, nostalgic baby boomers and tech-obsessed millennials.
 It's a brilliant marketing strategy, but the question is, will Volkswagen ever make this
 thing?
 Volkswagen says the microbus could make it into production by 2025, but that seems overly
 optimistic.
 The German automaker released a different microbus concept last year, the Buddy, and
 neither of these cars seem to really have any basis in reality.
 But that doesn't make them any less fun to obsess over, especially with futuristic features
 like mood lighting, retractable steering wheels, and driver seats that can swivel 180 degrees.
 Another sweet add-on is Volkswagen's ID Pass, a cloud-based user profile that stores specific
 settings for both drivers and passengers.
 That means every time you get in, the car will automatically adjust everything to your
 liking, seat position, air conditioning, music, you name it.
 But it's important not to let cool concepts like these distract from the overall problem,
 which is Volkswagen's ongoing diesel emissions cheating scandal.
 Right before Detroit kicked off, a senior executive was arrested by the FBI on charges
 of conspiring to defraud US customers.
 It's a really big problem for the company.
 They have billions of dollars tied up in settlements.
 But in the meantime, we've got cool concepts like these to look at.
 Anyway, Volkswagen will always have a place in America's cultural identity.
 Vehicles like the Bug, the Beetle, and the Microbus are icons, and it's really cool to
 see the company continuing to play around with these classic models as it looks further
 into the future.
 The German automaker released a different Microbus concept last year.
 This is awesome.
 I've never rotated in a bus before.