VW Delays the ID. Buzz's U.S. Comeback Again, Skipping the 2027 Model Year
The electric van skips a second straight U.S. model year, and the Tourer camper promised for this fall now arrives with the 2028 model.
Anyone holding out for Volkswagen's camping-ready ID. Buzz Tourer has a longer wait ahead. Volkswagen of America has told its dealers the electric van won't return as a 2027 model after all. It will come back as a 2028 model in the first half of 2027.
Automotive News first reported the change, saying dealers were notified on September 24. A Volkswagen spokesperson then confirmed the new timing to InsideEVs. There's no press release yet, and VW's U.S. newsroom hasn't published anything on the 2028 van.
This is the second delay in less than a year. VW skipped the 2026 model year in the U.S. in December 2025, so the Buzz now misses two model years in a row, less than two years after it first reached American showrooms in November 2024.
What carries over, and what's new
VW says the upgrades it promised for 2027 move to the 2028 van. Those came from the company's May 14 lineup release: a new Tourer 4Motion trim based on Europe's Good Night Package, with a fold-out bed, window blinds, ventilation panels, and an outdoor table and chairs; two-tone-only paint, including Candy White over Cherry Red; physical steering-wheel buttons; the Android-based ID.S 6 software; and a NACS adapter for Tesla Superchargers.
The 2028 model adds three items on top of that: updated software, a digital key, and a way to send power out of the battery. Reports disagree on how far that goes. Automotive News, as cited by Carscoops and The Drive, calls it vehicle-to-load, while InsideEVs describes bidirectional charging. VW hasn't specified, so don't plan on the van backing up your house.
For camper buyers, outbound power is the meaningful addition. When we compared the Tourer with Europe's ID. California Cruise, the European van had a charge-port power outlet and the U.S. model had nothing confirmed.
Why it keeps slipping
VW hasn't given a reason, but the backdrop is familiar. InsideEVs notes that the German-built Buzz never qualified for the federal EV tax credit, faces U.S. tariffs on European cars, and had its rollout interrupted by two stop-sale orders. VW sold 6,140 of them in the U.S. last year.
Sales of the remaining vans have been climbing. Volkswagen of America says ID. Buzz sales rose 121.5% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, all from existing inventory, since there is no 2026 model.
The spokesperson told InsideEVs the van "remains an important part of the Volkswagen of America portfolio" and that the brand is committed to its U.S. future.
What we still don't know
VW hasn't announced prices, range figures, or an on-sale month for the 2028 ID. Buzz, and it hasn't explained why the 2027 plan fell through. The company says more details will follow in the coming months. For reference, the last U.S. van started at nearly $60,000 and was EPA-rated at 234 miles in its original rear-drive form.
