VW ID. California launch still a few years away, suggests VWCV CEO

In December 2021 Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) revealed that a pure electric campervan called ‘VW ID. California’ is in the pipeline but it didn’t disclose the model’s launch timeline. That was just three months before the world premiere of the VW ID. Buzz, the company’s first dedicated EV. Three years have passed since these developments, but the VW ID. California launch still seems to be a few years away.

On 7 May, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles CEO Prof Dr Carsten Intra shared some VW ID. California updates from the all-new VW California (T7) world premiere. Speaking to Auto Express, Prof Dr Intra said that the company is working on the ID. California. VWCV is “waiting for the customer response on it,” he stated as the reason why the company didn’t reveal a launch timeline when it announced the model. There’s not enough demand for a pure electric camper, the brand boss added, suggesting the ID. California is still a few years away from going on sale.

The ID. California will be a model derived from the ID. Buzz. Until the ID. California arrives, ID. Buzz customers may get to have a taste of what’s to come with new accessories. Prof Dr Intra said that the company is testing a Night Package for this model, a suite of accessories that will allow two people to sleep in the vehicle. Like the Good Night package for the VW Multivan (T7), the Night Package for the ID. Buzz may include a folding bed, a blackout set consisting of curtains for the panoramic glass roof and windows, a foldable camping table, and two folding chairs.

Plans for the VW ID. Buzz include even an ‘AD’ robotaxi variant with Level 4 autonomous driving capability for MOIA, Volkswagen Group’s zero-emission ridesharing company. MOIA customers will be able to book a ride in the VW ID. Buzz AD in Austin, USA, and Hamburg, Germany, from 2026.

During an interview with the German publication Auto Motor und Sport in April, Prof Dr Intra revealed that VWCV has started planning for the “successor to the VW ID. Buzz” as well. Once EVs become the new normal, there’s a possibility that VWCV, like Volkswagen Passenger Vehicles, will stop using the ID. prefix in the name of its EVs. That’s probably the reason why Prof Dr Intra said ID. Buzz successor, not next-gen ID. Buzz.

Asked if the next-gen ID. Buzz will sit on VWCV’s future ‘Space’ commercial vehicle platform, Prof Dr Intra said that the ID. Buzz successor will be based on the new platform. He also revealed during this interview that the company wants to launch a special purpose vehicle (purpose-built vehicle or PBV) underpinned by the same platform and offering more passenger and cargo space than the upcoming ID. Buzz AD around the end of the decade.

autoexpress.co.uk, auto-motor-und-sport.de (in German)