VW ID. Buzz Sets Guinness EV Record Across 92 Countries — SkimNews
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- Volkswagen's ID. Buzz set a Guinness World Record for "most countries visited in a continuous journey by a battery powered electric vehicle," covering 99,767 km across 92 countries in 445 days.
- Rainer Zietlow drove the production ID. Buzz Pro Long Wheelbase across six continents starting in Hanover, Germany, passing through the US, Africa, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia, and China.
- The trip required over 300 charging cycles and 16 container ships to complete without a single technical breakdown, according to Volkswagen.
- TÜV Nord certified the ID. Buzz's high-voltage battery retained 95.75% state of health after the journey — a key data point for EV durability.
- Guinness World Records representative Lena Kuhlmann presented the certificate at IAA Transportation 2026.
- The ID. Buzz Pro LWB uses an 86 kWh battery with a WLTP range of up to 498 km and supports DC fast-charging up to 200 kW, reaching 10–80% in under 30 minutes.
- Zietlow argued EVs hold an advantage over combustion engines in remote regions, citing eliminated risks from sulphur-contaminated diesel, frequent oil changes, and engine overheating.
Why it matters: For Volkswagen, the 92-country, 445-day demonstration hands the company a rare real-world durability proof point at a moment when automakers are racing to show EVs can match combustion-engine reliability. The TÜV Nord certification that the battery retained 95.75% state of health after nearly 100,000 km is the kind of third-party data that can move skeptical buyers — and rivals — to take mass-market EV longevity seriously.
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