Whether you like vans or not, Volkswagen's ID Buzz is one of the neatest electric vehicles currently under development. The production version of this high-roof hauler is brilliant, looking nearly identical to the concept that debuted in 2017, with perky, retro-inspired styling. But things are about to get even cooler because Volkswagen just confirmed a camper version of this EV will be offered as well.
This news comes straight from a press release about future electrification plans the German automaker posted on Thursday, though we initially spotted the story on Carscoops.com. According to the announcement, aside from investments in electrifying its Hanover manufacturing plant and building Bentley bodies there, "Another vehicle derivative, the ID California, has likewise been approved for the site." Sweet!
The current Volkswagen California family is a range of superfun campers based on several of the automaker's commercial vans. There's the small Caddy California, the standard California -- which is built atop the Transporter platform -- and then there's the supersized Grand California, basically a gussied-up version of the work-ready Crafter van. Aside from appealing to outdoorsy folks, what really sets the mainline California apart from other vehicles is its available pop-up roof, which takes things to a whole new level (literally). This reconfigurable lid dramatically increases this van's interior space, and thus its usefulness as a camper.
Affixing the California name to the ID Buzz EV strongly indicates it will offer some interesting features (hopefully this includes some sort of reconfigurable top). Beyond camping-specific upgrades like seats that fold into beds and maybe a small kitchen, expect this product to be built on a version of VW's MEB electric-vehicle platform, which already underpins a number of other nameplates including the Volkswagen ID 4 SUV. As for technical details, this van is expected to feature a 111-kilowatt-hour battery pack.
"The ID California based on the ID Buzz will combine the ongoing trend towards mobile leisure arrangements with sustainable CO2-neutral mobility," said Carsten Intra, Volkswagen's CEO of commercial vehicles.
It's unclear when this all-electric camper will debut or how much it might cost, but it's unlikely the ID Buzz California will ever be sold in the US, which is a real shame. We reached out to Volkswagen for more information on this vehicle, but a company representative declined to comment.
