Long-distance driver Rainer Zietlow has set a Guinness World Record in an all-electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz, visiting 92 countries over 61,992 miles (99,767 km) in 445 days. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles reports the long-wheelbase electric van completed the trip around the globe without a single technical breakdown. TÜV Nord, which inspected the vehicle before and after the journey, certified the high-voltage battery at 95.75% state of health following its return, according to the company.
Highlights
- Record: 92 countries visited across six continents in 445 days, covering 61,992 miles (99,767 km).
- Battery condition: TÜV Nord certified a 95.75% state of health for the high-voltage battery after the return.
- Charging: More than 300 charging cycles under varied climatic conditions, with zero technical breakdowns reported.
- Logistics: 16 sea crossings by container ship.
Record Certified at IAA Transportation
Guinness World Records representative Lena Kuhlmann presented the certificate at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hanover this week. The official category is “Most countries visited in a continuous journey by a battery powered electric vehicle.” The title joins a run of Guinness World Records set by electric commercial vehicles over the past year.
Zietlow set off in the summer of 2025 from the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Customer Center in Hanover, the site where the ID. Buzz is built. The route ran through major cities, deserts, and mountain ranges. Zietlow said the record is his ninth Guinness title with vehicles from Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
“This world record demanded a great deal of the car. And the ID. Buzz delivered; not on a closed circuit, but all the way around the world,” Zietlow said.
How Did the ID. Buzz Battery Hold Up?
The company says the result that matters most is reliability: no technical breakdowns over the full distance, and a battery that retained more than 95% of its state of health after more than 300 charging cycles.
“The fact that I never had any technical problems. For me, that is the decisive point,” Zietlow said when asked what convinced him most about the vehicle.
He also pointed to differences from earlier combustion-engine tours. “In many parts of the world, diesel fuel can contain high sulphur levels or water contamination, several oil changes are required and there is also the risk of the engine overheating – all of that is eliminated with an electric vehicle,” Zietlow said.
Record Vehicle Specifications
According to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, the record vehicle was a series-production ID. Buzz Pro with long wheelbase, running on standard-production Giti Tire tires:
- Battery: 86 kWh (net)
- Range (WLTP): up to approximately 300–309 miles (483–498 km), depending on model and equipment
- DC charging: up to 200 kW, with 10–80% in under 30 minutes
WLTP figures reflect the European test cycle and are not comparable to EPA range ratings.
Charging Infrastructure Across 92 Countries
Zietlow described the global state of charging infrastructure as “very mixed.”
“In parts of Africa there is virtually no charging infrastructure – in countries such as Zambia or Tanzania there was simply nothing available, so I charged at national substations under supervision,” he said. South Africa, Morocco, and Rwanda already work well, he added.
Other markets have moved quickly. “Other regions have caught up enormously: in Saudi Arabia there were not many charging stations three years ago, today it is almost as good there as in Germany,” Zietlow said. He also cited strong progress in Brazil and Chile and described China as “in a league of its own.”
Record Vehicle on Display in Hanover
The ID. Buzz remains on display at the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles outdoor stand (S51, in front of Hall 12) at the Hanover exhibition grounds through September 20, 2026, the close of IAA Transportation.
