German driver Rainer Zietlow has begun a round-the-world journey in an electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz, aiming to break the world record for the most countries visited during a single trip in an electric vehicle. Over the course of eight months, Zietlow plans to travel through more than 75 countries in a standard production version of the ID. Buzz, with minimal modifications.
The 55-year-old is no stranger to long-distance driving. He already holds eight Guinness World Records and has travelled to over 110 countries in previous expeditions. This new journey began in Hannover, Germany, and will take him through Scandinavia, the Baltics, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands before arriving in Ireland on Tuesday, 8 July. He is expected to make a brief stop at Volkswagen Group Ireland's headquarters in Liffey Valley before continuing to the UK.
Paul Hunt, Brand Director for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Ireland, said: “I very much look forward to welcoming Rainer and his ID. Buzz to Ireland. Travelling the world in any vehicle is a challenge but, embarking on this challenge lets everyone know just what is possible in an electric vehicle.”
Zietlow is undertaking the trip independently, with support from partners, including Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. His vehicle has a range of over 400 kilometres per charge and includes an additional onboard charger to help convert power in areas where fast chargers are not readily available.
Zietlow hopes his journey will demonstrate the long-distance potential of EVs and test the availability and reliability of charging infrastructure across various regions. According to Zietlow, this trip is about showing that travelling across the world in an electric vehicle is not only possible but increasingly practical.
“With the 86kWh battery in the ID. Buzz, we can achieve a range of more than 400 kilometres per charge,” Zietlow explains, “so I can also cover stages through sparsely populated sections of the route.”
Speaking at the challenge's starting point, Lars Krause, member of the Brand Board of Management, said: “We are very impressed that Rainer has the courage and expertise to take on a world tour like this in our electric vehicle. I do a lot of long distance in my ID. Buzz and can report that charging is no longer a problem, at least in Europe. With his tour, Rainer's team will certainly inspire many people to switch to an all-electric vehicle.”
The trip has taken a year to plan and includes backup parts in case of breakdowns. The tour will include Zietlow to New Zealand on the eastern part of the journey and to Vancouver, Canada, on the western part. Travel across oceans will require ferries or shipping, but otherwise, the route will be completed entirely by road.
You can follow Zietlow's journey online at idbuzz-worldtour.com.