Guinness World Record driver in SA to set EV record in VW ID Buzz

German endurance driver Rainer Zietlow, a multiple Guinness World Record holder known for long-distance automotive expeditions, has arrived in South Africa as part of his latest attempt to set a new benchmark for electric vehicle travel.

Zietlow has completed more than 20 international record drives through his agency, Challenge4, many of them officially recognised by Guinness World Records. His previous projects include distance and altitude records in Volkswagen models, as well as global endurance drives in electric vehicles such as the ID.3 and ID.4.

Described as the first attempt to circumnavigate the globe in an all-electric vehicle, the eight-month VW ID Buzz World Tour expedition is expected to cover more than 80,000km across over 75 countries.

Zietlow is driving a specially prepared long-wheelbase Volkswagen ID Buzz, fitted with an 86kWh battery pack to extend range between charging stops in remote areas.

The tour began on July 1 2025, near Hanover in Germany. From there the team crossed large parts of Europe before travelling east through Central Asia and China, then south into Southeast Asia and on to Australia. Ocean crossings were completed by container ship where road travel was not possible.

The African leg began on February 20, when the ID Buzz was offloaded in Durban after several weeks at sea. Once customs procedures were completed, the electric van travelled south through KwaZulu-Natal into the Eastern Cape.

The route included Mthatha and coastal stretches past KuGompo City (formerly East London) and Port Alfred before reaching Kariega, home to Volkswagen’s South African manufacturing plant.

By Wednesday the team had continued inland towards Johannesburg, adding South Africa to the growing list of nations visited.

Beyond the record attempt, the project is intended to demonstrate the feasibility of long-distance electric travel across varied terrain and infrastructure conditions. Follow the journey here.