Volkswagen’s Microbus-Style EV Will Not Come Back in 2026

The Volkswagen ID. Buzz, which as far as I can tell is the only vehicle on the American market that counts as a fully electric consumer minivan, is being paused, according to a Friday report from Carscoops. A representative of the company told that site, “Following a careful assessment of current EV market conditions, we have made the strategic decision not to move forward with [model year 2026] ID. Buzz production for the U.S. market.”

The company told Carscoops that rumors spreading through dealerships about the car being completely axed are wrong, and that the company “gave dealers this direction: The ID. Buzz continues to serve as an important halo product for the Volkswagen brand, and safeguarding its market presence remains a top priority.” VW also mentioned some kind of “transition” to a 2027 model.

In spite of this being the official line from its parent company, a car getting completely taken out of production for the U.S. market in 2026 is probably not a great sign. If I were a company killing a product, and I didn’t want the public to have a big tantrum about it, I might claim to be pausing it, and then quietly announce that actually it’s gone forever a little later when the story will get less attention.

Despite being probably the most interesting car on U.S. roads right now, the ID. Buzz has no niche to slot into. It’s relatively compact, with dual sliding doors, and three rows of seats. As a minivan and an EV, it theoretically has practical applications as a family car that costs very little to run over the long term.

But none of these considerations trump material reality for most people with kids. At-home EV charging in the U.S. is still pretty rare unless one deliberately installs it. Densely populated urban areas have chargers all over the place, but the kinds of suburban homes where people with kids live still tend not to be hospitable to the EV life.

Perhaps more importantly, the prices for the ID. Buzz are astronomical. The base price for the 2025 model year was $61,545 according to Car and Driver, and Redditors reported paying up to $80,000 for theirs. This is Cybertruck-level EV pricing. You truly might as well just get a Mercedes-Benz eSprinter at that price point.

But the price stands to reason, because the ID. Buzz only makes sense as a luxury splurge for well-heeled people interested in the novelty and nostalgic look. And that’s a shame.

Three years ago, when hype for the ID. Buzz was at its peak, Jill Lepore profiled it for The New Yorker, noting the difference between the new VW minivan and its predecessor, technically called the Volkswagen Type 2, but better known as the Minibus. She found it a bit gadget-heavy. 

“The Buzz, in the way of new E.V.s, is more swoosh than boing, less a machine you operate—pulling levers, cranking wheels, pumping brakes—than a computer you ride around in while its screen flashes officious little reminders at you. This is what new cars do, what they are. It’s not what old cars did, or what they were.”

Is this the end, or just a little break? Dark clouds are forming over the U.S. economy, but seem to be dissipating, and the politics around EVs in the U.S. range from iffy to overtly hostile, but charging infrastructure is expanding anyway. Volkswagen, which is currently cutting production and exploring AI, probably isn’t being coy here: I doubt the company knows what will happen next with the ID. Buzz in the U.S. But if it comes back in 2027, it would be nice to see the next version take more cues from its humble, practical ancestor.