Volkswagen has confirmed plans for 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, won’t arrive until later this decade.
The delay is not due to technical issues, but rather a lack of demand for electric campers, said Carsten Intra, CEO of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. Car in an interview published on Thursday.
“I can say that we have always started from the market and looking at the market numbers and looking closely at our customers, we have found that the need for these types of vehicles – BEV-powered campers – does not yet exist from our perspective,” he said.
Intra went on to say that VW expects demand for electric campers to grow to a sufficient level by the second half of the decade.
Volkswagen California Concept
Meanwhile, VW will offer a new Californian van based on the current Multivan sold abroad. It was visualized as a concept (shown above) last year and will launch into production later this year. It will offer buyers the option of a plug-in hybrid powertrain, which Intra says will allow owners to drive around a campsite on electric power alone if they wish.
The California designation was originally used for a camper version of VW’s Transporter line of commercial vans. The California version offered just about everything you need for an extended camping stay, including a retractable roof, a mini kitchen with a refrigerator, and a pair of beds, each big enough for two people. Since then, VW has released California versions of its smaller Caddy van and larger Crafter van. Soon there will also be a Multivan version and, eventually, an ID.Buzz version.
The regular version of the ID.Buzz will finally hit US showrooms in the second half of the year. It will arrive as a 2025 model and will have a starting price of around $65,000.