On 31st July 2025, Jungheinrich Australia celebrated the grand opening of their brand new Melbourne Branch in Victoria, situated in Cranbourne West in Melbourne’s south-east.
As part of the celebrations, Jungheinrich Australia and New Zealand Managing Director Axel Knigge joined Volkswagen Group Australia Managing Director Karsten Seifert during the handover of the first two all-new Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo full-battery electric vehicles (BEVs) – forming a partnership in Australia of the two German industry giants in their commitment to sustainability and innovation.
With over 70 years of industry experience, Jungheinrich is one of the global leading providers of sustainable material handling solutions and one of the first companies in Australia to integrate Volkswagen’s new electric vans into its operations.
Globally, Jungheinrich operates a fleet of over 5,000 service vans, with well over one-third supplied by Volkswagen – including models like the Transporter, Amarok, and Caddy. This makes Volkswagen a long-standing vehicle partner for Jungheinrich.
Jungheinrich’s goal is to convert at least 50% of its global service fleet to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) by 2030. The first two ID. Buzz Cargo vans in Australia are now in service across Sydney and Melbourne. Following driver evaluation, Jungheinrich and Volkswagen intend to utilise the experience gained to further optimise and expand the fleet.
To mark more than 70 years of the company’s history, the vehicles feature a custom design: the left side showcases a historic Volkswagen T2 service van alongside a 1953 Jungheinrich forklift, while the right side presents a modern lithium-ion electric forklift highlighting Jungheinrich’s market leadership. A sustainably crafted wooden surfboard on the roof adds a playful nod to the VW van’s coastal legacy, perfectly fitting to Australia.
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo plays a key role in Jungheinrich Australia’s strategy to shift its service fleet to low-emission vehicles. This is part of the company’s broader commitment to achieve net zero emissions across the entire value chain by 2050 – including full electrification of its owned vehicle fleet (Scope 1).
Axel Knigge, Managing Director of Jungheinrich Australia, said, “Jungheinrich has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with the Volkswagen Group, with a significant portion of our global service fleet made up of Volkswagen vehicles. After recently celebrating our 70th anniversary, now is the perfect time to take that collaboration to the next level. The Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo offers the payload and range we require, while supporting our strong commitment to sustainability.”
Beyond environmental benefits, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo also offers economic advantages: lower maintenance costs, extended service intervals (2 years/30,000 km), and an 8-year high-voltage battery warranty with a minimum 70% capacity guarantee contribute to greater uptime and efficiency.
“Jungheinrich stands for premium German-engineered products, expert advice, and the best solution in terms of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and high operational readiness. We are always looking for partners who share our values and continuously improve ourselves. We have found that in Volkswagen.” Mr Knigge said.
At the handover of the Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo, Karsten Seifert, Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Australia, celebrated the ongoing partnership with Jungheinrich Australia and highlighted the Volkswagen Group’s commitment to growing its range of commercial fleet solutions.
“This partnership marks a powerful step forward in delivering smarter, more sustainable logistics solutions for Australian businesses,” Mr. Seifert said.
“By combining Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ reliability and innovation with Jungheinrich’s expertise in material handling, we’re driving efficiency, sustainability and progress across the supply chain together.”
Jungheinrich service technicians in Australia may travel up to 350 km per day and need to respond to urgent, unplanned service calls. As such, strong real-world range is essential – and the Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo delivers.
While there continues to be a buzz around its latest battery electric van, Volkswagen’s first foray into electrified commercial transport began over 50 years earlier with the Volkswagen T2 Elektro Transporter, highlighting just how far the ID. Buzz Cargo has come since.
It featured a 21.6 kWh lead-acid battery providing about 85km of range and was even fitted with an ‘engine recovery system’, which captured some of the kinetic energy generated under braking and used it to charge the battery – the forefather of what we now know as ‘regenerative braking’.
Capable of carrying two Euro pallets, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo is powered by an 84kWh battery, with a range of 431km (WLTP).
Peak power is potent at 210kW, while the Cargo van produces a robust 550Nm of torque. With DC fast charging available up to 185kW, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo can also be charged from 5% to 80% in around 30 minutes.
“In 2008, Jungheinrich was the first manufacturer to bring lithium-ion technology into series production. That innovation helped reduce emissions and increase productivity. We’re now taking another major step forward electrifying our service fleet and delivering sustainable service to our customers – and the ID. Buzz Cargo is a major asset: low maintenance costs, zero emissions, and impressive real-world range,” said Mr. Knigge.
