Volkswagen's new ID. Buzz turns iconic car into electric vehicle

It's the return of an icon in a thoroughly modern way. Volkswagen has introduced its latest fully electric vehicle: the Volkswagen ID. Buzz.

The new electric vehicle is an obvious tribute to Volkswagen's own Type 2, or "Bus," which served as a humble conveyance of the counterculture in the late 1960s. In the years since, the Type 2 has had fitting cameo roles in movies, TV shows and even the Pixar "Cars" franchise.

Recently, the VW Bus made headlines when a haunting image went viral of a brightly-colored VW Bus that not only survived the test of time, but the destructive Palisades Fire as well.

The ID. Buzz isn't just a nod to the past, however. It's a gateway to the future, acting as the shining star of Volkswagen as a brand moving further into the EV era. It's an electric car disguised as a sort of whimsical throwback to the company's history.

The designers at Volkswagen seem to have had a ball with it. There are little touches that will remind you of air-cooled Volkswagens of the past, like looped straps to assist passengers entering the rear seats. There's also something fun from the technology era on the pedals. The brake is embossed with the video "pause" symbol, and the accelerator pedal has the right-facing arrow for "play."

Pause and play carefully, and the Buzz 1st Edition Dual-motor is good for an EPA-rated 231 miles of electric range. The ID. Buzz comes fully loaded with all-wheel drive and has a sticker price of $71,545. Less expensive versions of the ID. Buzz will follow later this year.

Plus, if you find modern cars to be a little claustrophobic, the ID. Buzz provides an amazing panoramic view of the road. It's like driving while perched up inside an atrium.

Volkswagen has been generally lauded for bringing something very different and very cool to the EV space while, at the same time, honoring its own heritage. One thing tends to get overlooked amidst all the praise, though -- the ID. Buzz is a minivan.

Minivans are arguably still the most practical family vehicles around, but you never hear them being referred to as "cool." This battery-powered VW could end up being the coolest ride in the student drop-off lane or the parking lot of the soccer field.

It has most of the standard minivan attributes as far as versatility, like dual-power sliding doors, but the second-row seats can't be removed for extra cargo space. That probably won't matter a bit.

The VW ID. Buzz is retro and the newest shiny thing right now. But even when that wears off, it's also an EV that's practical with a side dish of whimsy.