Volkswagen AG has resumed the assembly of the all-electric ID.Buzz minivan in Hannover, Germany after the production was put on hold in late June due to battery quality issues.
The pause, which was allegedly caused by subpar third-party supplies, had lasted for around a week. The first batteries produced experienced voltage surges that diminished the useful driving range and reduced the battery pack’s life expectancy.
Volkswagen had pieced together around 500 ID.Buzz MPV and ID.Buzz Cargo models since early June, but none of them got into private hands, because the entire batch was intended for test drives and dealership showcases. As such, no recall was announced.
The week’s hiatus caused the automaker to produce around 200 units fewer than scheduled. The company claims it will be able to catch up with the plan easily, returning to its normal production rate later this week.
The VW Hannover factory used to produce around 45 vehicles per day, but this number is expected to quadruple (180) by the end of the year. Despite the initial difficulties, Volkswagen says it will be able to start deliveries of the ID.Buzz MPV and Cargo in Europe in October, just as planned.