Ever since the Volkswagen ID. Buzz debuted with styling clearly referencing the T1 split-screen bus of the 1950s and ’60s, we’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of a proper camper version. Well, according to the company’s execs, we’ve still got a little while to wait.
Car Throttle recently headed to Germany to drive the ID. Buzz in its new long-wheelbase and dual-motor GTX forms. While there, we also had the opportunity to sit down with Markus Schildmann, part of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ marketing team.
Volkswagen ID. Buzz – rear
When asked where VW was at with a camper version of the characterful Buzz, Schildmann told us that it was “still in the development phase.
“For the second half of the decade, we see a camper version,” continued Schildmann.
Previously, Lars Krause, VW Commercial Vehicles’ sales and marketing boss, had told Autocar that the company wasn’t rushing into producing an ID Buzz camper, as it didn’t yet feel the demand was there for a fully electric campervan.
Volkswagen ID. Buzz – interior
“Looking at the market figures and looking closely at our customers, it turned out that the need for these types of vehicles – BEV-driven campers – is not there yet from our perspective,” he said at the time.
When it does eventually arrive, it seems likely the Buzz camper will be badged as a California. This is the badge VW’s been using for its massively successful campers based on the Transporter van since 2003. The latest version, launched this year, switches over to using the car-based Multivan as its base.
Volkswagen T7 California Concept – front
For the first time, it’ll also be available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, pitched as a stepping stone towards the world of fully electric camping while the charging network perhaps doesn’t yet exist at campsites and remote camping spots.
So, while a Buzz with a bed seems like a no-brainer given the original VW camper’s iconic status, we’ll just have a little while longer to wait before those zero-emission camping trips become a possibility in a factory Buzz California.
