Changing a number of options could reduce waiting times by up to 11 months.
Unlike most automakers, VW prioritizes less-equipped vehicles due to supply shortages.
More variants of the electric van are coming in the next year or two.
Volkswagen currently has about 2,000 orders in Europe for the ID.Buzz electric minivan (and its cargo version) which leads to delays due to production issues.
Like many automakers, Volkswagen is still feeling the effects of the semiconductor shortage on its supply chain, which is why some buyers of the ID.Buzz have to wait 18 months to take delivery.
In order to reduce this delay to a minimum, VW announced a number of options that can affect delivery times if they are removed from the order form by the buyers.
The option which has the biggest effect on delivery times is the distinctive two-tone paint. Indeed, buyers who decide to go for one of six solid paint hues can expect to receive their ID.Buzz in only seven months.
2023 Volkswagen ID Buzz | Photo: Volkswagen
Other options which can further speed up the production process when they are not selected include the tech-focussed Infotainment Package Plus which suffers from a lack of computer chips.
Reducing backlog is important for Volkswagen since it is getting ready to add two new versions of the ID.Buzz by 2025 that will generate even more interest.
Indeed, the electric van will be offered in a sportier GTX version later this year, and the stretched version (the only one that will be offered in North America) is set to arrive in Europe by the middle of the decade.
This strategy has been seen before by different automakers, but unlike most of them, Volkswagen chose to prioritize the more affordable models that require fewer components rather than throwing everything it has at the most expensive versions.
Source: Autocar
