VW Delays ID.Buzz California Due to Weak Demand for Electric Campers

Volkswagen has confirmed that it is planning a version of its ID.Buzz electric van equipped for camping as early as 2021, but the vehicle, which will use the automaker's California camper designation, will not arrive until the end of this decade. [Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles CEO Carsten Intra told Autocar in an interview published Thursday that the delay is due to a lack of demand for electric campers, not technical problems.

"I can say that we always start from the market, but after looking at the market figures and looking closely at our customers, we see that from our point of view there is still no need for this kind of vehicle, for EV-powered campers," he said.

Intra further stated that VW expects demand for electric campers to grow to a sufficient level by the second half of the decade.

Meanwhile, VW will offer a new California Camper Van based on the current Multivan sold abroad. This was previewed as a concept last year (see above) and is expected to go into production later this year. Buyers will be offered the option of a plug-in hybrid powertrain, which, according to Intra, will allow owners to drive around the campground on electric power alone if they so desire.

The California name was originally used for a camper version of VW's Transporter line of commercial vans. The California version offered features for extended stays at campgrounds, such as a pop-up roof, a mini-kitchen with refrigerator, and a bed for two; VW has since launched California versions of the smaller Caddy van and the larger Crafter van. A Murtivan version will soon follow, and eventually an ID.Buzz version.

The regular version of the ID.Buzz will finally arrive in U.S. showrooms later this year; it will appear as a 2025 model, with prices starting at about $65,000.