Driver Rainer Zietlow returned from a round-the-world trip in a long-wheelbase Volkswagen ID. Buzz. The journey lasted 445 days, during which he visited 92 countries and covered 99,767 kilometres.
Ziet was presented with a new Guinness World Records certificate in the category 'Most countries visited in a continuous journey in a battery electric vehicle'. The award was presented to him by a representative of Guinness at the IAA Transportation 2026 show. Z set off in summer 2025 from the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles customer centre in Hanover, and the vehicle was manufactured in Hanover.
The route of the ID. Buzz went through six continents, major cities, deserts and mountain ranges. The vehicle was equipped with standard Giti Tyre tyres, and more than 300 charges were made during the journey in a variety of climatic conditions. In total, there were 16 ocean crossings by container ship.
The ID. Buzz completed the round-the-world trip without a single technical fault. The German TÜV Nord confirmed that the state of charge of the battery was 95.75 per cent, and the vehicle was inspected before and after the journey.
Z states that this was the largest and longest project in his 20-year career. The project was preceded by six months of intensive planning, and since 2005 Z has exclusively carried out projects with Volkswagen models. This is the first time that he has visited all the key markets in a fully electric vehicle.
In parts of Africa, there is almost no charging infrastructure. In Zambia and Tanzania, nothing was available for charging, so Z charged at national transformer stations under supervision. South Africa, Morocco and Rwanda already have a well-functioning charging infrastructure. Saudi Arabia, three years ago, had almost no charging points, but today it is almost equal to Germany. South America, particularly Brazil and Chile, is also advancing rapidly. China is far ahead, as electric mobility is part of everyday life there.
The record ID. Buzz is on display on the outdoor stand of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in front of Hall 12 at the Hanover fairground until the end of the IAA Transportation 2026 show.
