Volkswagen electric van sets record by visiting 92 countries — Motor1
In Hanover, Germany, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric minivan completed a 99,767-kilometer journey around the world, during which it visited 92 countries on six continents. Driver Rainer Zietlow returned to the city on September 14 after 445 days on the road behind the wheel of a production electric vehicle with an extended wheelbase.
As Motor1 reports, Guinness World Records representative Lena Kullmann presented the certificate at the IAA Transportation 2026 exhibition. The record was registered in the category for the highest number of countries visited during a continuous journey in a battery-electric vehicle. For Zietlow, this is his ninth Guinness record set in Volkswagen vehicles.
More than 300 charging stops and 16 sea shipments
The journey began on July 1, 2025, at the customer center in Hanover, where the ID. Buzz is produced. According to Volkswagen, the route passed through deserts, mountains, and major cities. Over 16 months, the electric van made more than 300 stops for charging and was also transported by sea in a container 16 times.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Volkswagen says the vehicle completed the entire route without a single technical malfunction. After the trip was completed, the German organization TÜV Nord inspected the vehicle and certified that the high-voltage battery's condition was 95.75%.
Features of the record-setting electric van
A Volkswagen ID. Buzz Pro with an extended wheelbase and a battery with a usable capacity of 86 kWh was used for the journey. The model's WLTP range is approximately 483 to 497 kilometers. Maximum DC fast-charging power is 200 kW, which, according to the manufacturer, makes it possible to charge from 10% to 80% in less than 30 minutes.
Zietlow said charging infrastructure along the route varied significantly by country. In particular, there were no charging stations in Zambia and Tanzania, so in certain areas of Africa the vehicle was charged at national substations under supervision. At the same time, he described the charging networks in South Africa, Morocco, and Rwanda as suitable for electric vehicles, while characterizing China as a country where electric mobility has become part of everyday life.
