# Y'all seen the new Volkswagen commercial? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** commercials-ads\ **Created:** [June 13, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492 "2019-06-13T20:36:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/21 "2019-06-15T21:01:04Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Does this mean you’ll finally get a VW Camper and not need a rolodex full of repair shops and mechanics when you go on a long trip? That’s not a Bug, that’s the future. ---
**Author:** ![Cell\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@Cell\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cell_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/22 "2019-06-15T21:15:33Z")
No matter how they spin it the truth is this: VW’s introduction of electric vehicles is driven by their settlement with the government. They’re not doing this because they want to, they’re doing it because they have to. I have a hard time getting excited over this. As far as I’m concerned if VW wants me to own one of their products they need to pay me. And that sticker has a pretty large price on it. \*Yes, I am a former owner of a cheater VW. Why do you ask? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/23 "2019-06-15T21:29:14Z")
Anyone curious to see insides of the concept microbus and to see it in action, can check the review from the Fully Charged Show. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TQut6ks3nSY/maxresdefault.jpg "VW ID Buzz | Fully Charged") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQut6ks3nSY) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/24 "2019-06-15T21:35:01Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > Yes, I saw it and I thought it was great. I have always said that everyone makes mistakes… people and companies… it is how they respond to them and/or correct them that tells me their true worth. I would love to see more details on the new bus. Is that what Volkswagen did? They “made a mistake”? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/25 "2019-06-15T21:36:38Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Is that what Volkswagen did? They “made a mistake”? :dubious: Sure did. They got caught. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/26 "2019-06-15T21:44:48Z")
[quote=“GIGObuster, post:23, topic:835492”] Anyone curious to see insides of the concept microbus and to see it in action, can check the review from the Fully Charged Show. [/QUOTE] I just watched part of it. You’ll notice the absence of side-view and rear-view mirrors. Instead, there are rear-facing cameras on the sides, and a display screen instead of a rear-view mirror. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/27 "2019-06-15T22:33:29Z")
OK, so they can’t cheat on the emissions tests any more. What else can they still cheat on? Range measurements? Safety standards? Was there enough turnover in the upper eschelons of the company to be confident that they’ve gotten rid of the culture of cheating? And I find it slightly disturbing that the guy we’re watching work late nights is (apparently) a concept artist, not an engineer. That tells me that they prioritize making the vehicle look good over making it work well. And after all those long hours, the best he can come up with is to reuse a fifty-year-old design? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/28 "2019-06-15T23:32:27Z")
Also, it it _really_ the best idea to use a song that brings to mind a couple of people getting on a bus and immediately begining to regret their decision? ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/29 "2019-06-16T00:07:04Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I just watched part of it. You’ll notice the absence of side-view and rear-view mirrors. Instead, there are rear-facing cameras on the sides, and a display screen instead of a rear-view mirror. The clip I watched specifically mentioned that and said that this is a concept vehicle and a production version would have mirrors. I assume this is due to some laws that haven’t been adjusted for the current technology. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/30 "2019-06-16T00:11:40Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > That’s not a Bug, that’s the future. Bravo. 🙂 I’m a fan of the brand so I watched it. Twice. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/31 "2019-06-16T00:25:50Z")
I’m a VW fan, own a ‘07 Rabbit 2 door manual, and a ‘12 Golf TDI DSG, I’m one of the few that was never bothered by the emissions “scandal” as I’m already familiar with the foibles of diesel, as I own an antique Kubota G5200 garden tractor, it’s easily 25+ years old and starts reliably every time and has seen many hours of use, mowing the lawn (a 2 hour job), plowing the driveway in the winter, towing a garden cart for many uses. The old Kubota will belch smoke when it’s started or momentarily under heavy loads, but overall it’s clean, doesn’t smoke, and this is a small 3 cylinder naturally aspirated engine. I got the TDI because I liked the way it drove, and got great gas mileage as a side bonus, it’s emissions are even cleaner than the old antique Kubota [![Google Photos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/65zQpWLVGmKS0xKeQ9EdyRJODamlAPn4_EW6hE9bnHR5qBczL50iAa0Md_rmlGjSIQIXZZuL-KzdQsdxSvwdPCdLGjxD8khCeT-bMSFu42gIh7CbNrpoheeCl1NZwsfHV7KmCXt6ew=w600-h315-p-k "New item by MacTechG4") ](https://photos.app.goo.gl/rtCdSaLtFnhE5W9c9) (My little diesel family) I like the basic concept of the ID Buzz, but here in New England, our brutal winter makes battery electric vehicles a tad less practical, batteries lose a noticeable amount of range in freezing weather, that said, it’d make a nice companion to the TDI… ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/32 "2019-06-16T00:36:22Z")
They’ve switched from scamming the govt to scamming customers like Musk does. No way that range holds up in real driving conditions. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/33 "2019-06-16T00:43:18Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > They’ve switched from scamming the govt to scamming customers like Musk does. No way that range holds up in real driving conditions. You do realize that it is at least 4 years before these come to production so there is no way of knowing if what your are saying is true or not. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/34 "2019-06-16T02:11:40Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > I just watched part of it. You’ll notice the absence of side-view and rear-view mirrors. Instead, there are rear-facing cameras on the sides, and a display screen instead of a rear-view mirror. > > The clip I watched specifically mentioned that and said that this is a concept vehicle and a production version would have mirrors. I assume this is due to some laws that haven’t been adjusted for the current technology. I get that this concept car includes some technology that isn’t ready for prime time. The video I saw mentioned that in autonomous mode, the steering wheel would retract to be flush with the instrument panel and obviously we’re not there yet. I understand that some auto manufacturers have [proposed](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/05/automobiles/end-of-the-road-may-be-near-for-side-mirrors.html) that side view mirrors be replaced by cameras, with drag being reduced by two to seven percent. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/35 "2019-06-16T02:23:23Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > You do realize that it is at least 4 years before these come to production so there is no way of knowing if what your are saying is true or not. I also have to also say to **WillFarnaby** that people saying: “It can’t be done,” are always being interrupted by somebody doing it. - (From Puck Magazine _in 1903_) I’m aware of how deservedly VW is behind the 8 ball for the recent scandal, but if that made them become a car company with practical solutions regarding emissions, then it is like politics: You never want a serious crisis to go to waste, and the result should be welcomed because the new EVs will be a part of the solution to the global warming issue. ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/36 "2019-06-16T08:04:52Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > nit pick: That was an old school bus, not a VW. And the acid the took didn’t come in batteries.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/37 "2019-06-16T12:32:21Z")
And I can believe that an electric van could have a significantly longer range than an electric car. There’s a lot more space in a van to fit in batteries. Obviously the range they’re touting is under ideal circumstances (warm weather, level ground, low but steady speed), but then, that’s true of the range anyone else touts, too. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/38 "2019-06-16T14:09:04Z")
Is there any kind of release date for this, or is it just a concept car to get us to talk about something other than their crimes? Who could have guessed anything that came out of Nazi Germany could have a dark side? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/39 "2019-06-16T14:36:37Z")
It’s scheduled to be available in 2022. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492/40 "2019-06-16T15:18:00Z")
When I initially saw this commercial, at the end, when they show the “face” of the bus, I thought it was backing-up toward the camera and that was the rear-end. Going backward, not forward. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-seen-the-new-volkswagen-commercial/835492.md?page=1)