According to British automotive enthusiast magazine CAR, Volkswagen is planning to launch a boxy EV called the ID Ruggedzz in 2025. CAR described the new EV as an electric Land Rover Defender rival “for the not so wealthy” suggesting it will be a low cost EV with off-road capabilities.
According the report, the ID Ruggedzz will get a 70-kWh battery pack and dual electric motors, allowing all-wheel drive and a combined 200 horsepower.
This isn’t the first we’ve heard about the project but there have been some changes since the first mention of it. For. instance, the name appears to have been changed from from “ID Ruggdzz” to “ID Ruggedzz.” The report also claims that the ID Ruggedzz will replace the VW ID Buggy which the German automaker will no longer move forward with.
With the production version of the ID Buggy left on the cutting room floor, and the ID.4 crossover deliveries expected to start late this year, the Ruggedzz could serve as a modern interpretation of a classic VW, the Type 181. Furthermore, VW is planning a production version of the ID Buzz concept for 2022, inspired by the 1960s Microbus.