A Volkswagen ID.Buzz navigated 99,800 kilometers and visited 92 countries in a row to set a new world record for a continuous global tour using a battery powered electric vehicle. Led by professional globetrotter Rainer Zietlow, the expedition began in Hannover, Germany on July 1, 2025 and visited Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, South and North America and the Middle East over 16 months.
The tour ended at the IAA Transportation in Hannover on September 14, 2026, where Zietlow received a certificate officially recognizing the new EV world record.
Volkswagen fitted the ID.Buzz with two sets of GitiSynergy tires from Giti Tire. The vehicle used size 235/60 R18 on the front and 255/55 R18 on the rear axles, as per the original equipment agreement, which commenced with Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) in September 2023.
The tires were swapped at the halfway point and Giti Tire reported a final inspection that showed over half the total tread depth remaining.
"Excellent rolling resistance gave us around 400 kilometers between every charge and we drove through some insanely heavy rain, especially in South East Asia, where there was zero aquaplaning," Zietlow sai.
Giti Tire also entered the record books when the YANGWANG U9 Xtreme (U9X) achieved a top speed of 308.3 mph on e.GTR2 Pro tires.
