At least in the United States, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz has not been a success. Demand was so low that VW initially decided to give the electric minivan a one-year hiatus in this market for the 2026 model year. More recently, the automaker expanded that strategy to keep the ID. Buzz out of the US for the 2027 model year, as well.
The ID. Buzz isn’t a bad vehicle, though, and we enjoy driving it. VW isn’t giving up on the electric minivan, either, because a new report indicates a second-generation model is happening.
The VW ID. Buzz Will Keep Humming
Blue 2024 VW ID.Buzz side shotVolkswagen
The news about a second-generation ID. Buzz comes straight from the top because Volkswagen Passenger Cars CEO Thomas Schäfer confirms the news. “They’re working on it,” he told Auto Express.
The second-gen ID. Buzz will switch to VW’s new Scalable Systems Platform architecture. These underpinnings are more affordable than what the company currently uses for EVs. The automaker plans for it to underpin nine vehicles by 2027, including an entry-level EV for Europe starting at about €20,000 ($22,390 at current exchange rates). The setup would allow the new ID. Buzz to use battery packs offering more range and faster charging.
According to Schäfer, the current ID. Buzz “is on the wrong cost base,” which makes it difficult for the vehicle to be a high-volume seller. Currently, the entry-level version in the US is the Pro S that starts at $59,995 (plus a $1,550 destination fee). It’s the most expensive minivan in the country, beating the range-topping 2026 Toyota Sienna Platinum AWD 7-Passenger Hybrid at $57,810 (before a $1,595 destination fee).
How Will The Second-Gen ID. Buzz Look?
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The second-gen ID. Buzz also might not look like a retro-modern take on the classic VW Transporter (also known as the Microbus), like the current one. Head of Volkswagen Group Design Andreas Mindt commented on his general theory for vehicle styling:
“I don’t want to repeat a design over and over again, I think there’s a dead end to it. We had that with the New Beetle. You do one Beetle, then another and then people get tired. How can you succeed from there? There’s a stop somewhere when you go down this path.”
– Andreas Mindt, Head of Volkswagen Group Design
Depending on when the second-gen ID. Buzz arrives, it might have a high-end electric minivan to compete against it. Mercedes-Benz is preparing to launch the VLE-Class in the US in 2027. The base VLE 300 is front-wheel drive with a 272-horsepower powertrain and a 115-kilowatt-hour battery pack. In the European test, it has an estimated range of 435 miles, but the EPA evaluation generally results in a lower driving range. There would also be the VLE 400 4Matic with 409 hp and the same battery as the base trim. No pricing details are available yet.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters
Aesthetics are subjective, but there’s nothing else on the road that looks like the ID. Buzz. No other automaker in the US is offering a retro-styled minivan. However, not bringing new examples into the country indicates that buyers aren’t interested in the offering. In Q3 2026, VW moved 432 of them in the country, down from 2,469 in Q3 2025.
There are a limited number of people in the market for electric vehicles, minivans, and retro-styled products. Combining all three of these factors means the company is appealing to a very limited group of customers.
There are no details available about when the second-generation ID. Buzz might arrive. The current one launched in Europe in 2022 but didn’t come to the US until the 2025 model year. We wouldn’t expect the replacement to arrive for several years because a new minivan is likely not a top priority for the brand.
Base Trim Engine
EV
Base Trim Transmission
Automatic
Base Trim Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
282 HP
Base Trim Torque
402 lb.-ft.
Base Trim Fuel Economy Equivalent (city/highway/combined)
90/75/83 mpge
Base Trim Battery Type
Lead acid battery
Infotainment & Features
7.5 /10
Source: Auto Express
