Volkswagen on Wednesday teased a prototype version of its Microbus-inspired ID.Buzz electric van—the electric VW Bus—that could closely resemble a production version due for customer deliveries in 2023.

A camouflaged ID.Buzz was shown briefly by Klaus Zellmer, head of marketing and sales for the VW brand globally, during the livestream of the ID.5 crossover reveal. Zellmer didn't have much to say about the ID.Buzz, only noting that there's more coming on the much-teased EV next year.

The camouflage scheme very closely follows the theme applied to its ID.4 in prototype form—and the production form varied little from that. So it's likely a good indication of what the production ID.Buzz will look like.

VW ID.Buzz teaser from Klaus Zellmer, VW sales and marketing chief

The ID.Buzz is due in the U.S. in 2023, after a long tease that goes back to the well-received January 2017 concept. We even drove the concept a few months after its reveal at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show.

In the meantime, the retro EV is scheduled for a full reveal in 2022.

This model looks quite a bit different than the concept, and closely aligns with details seen in spy shots of test vehicles. It will use the same MEB platform as the ID.4 and ID.5, as well as the European-market ID.3 hatchback and the Audi Q4 E-Tron SUV and Sportback.

VW is reportedly covering some of the development costs for this niche model by coordinating it with a cargo version. A concept version of the ID.Buzz cargo van was first shown in 2018, and reports have indicated production of both the cargo and passenger versions will be allocated to a Hanover, Germany, factory that builds commercial vehicles.