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The Next Volkswagen ID. Buzz Will Fix Its Biggest Problem: The Price

VW's electric Microbus will move to a new platform for its second generation, bringing improvements across the board.

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Review

Photo by: DW Burnett / Motor1

Adrian Padeanu

By: Adrian Padeanu

Oct 13, at 2:37am ET

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Volkswagen isn't giving up on its electric retro minivan. Quite the opposite, actually. The ID. Buzz will get another in-generation update before making way for an all-new replacement, which promises better technology and, more importantly, a lower price. CEO Thomas Schäfer confirmed the next-gen minibus in an interview with Auto Express at the 2026 Paris Motor Show this week.

The successor will ride on the company's upcoming Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), a new architecture designed to underpin a wide range of electric vehicles across the Group. The current ID. Buzz has plenty of charm, but its appeal hasn't translated into the sales success VW aspired to. Schäfer acknowledged that the van's high asking price makes it difficult to sell in large numbers, suggesting that the next model needs to be more affordable to reach a wider audience.

That's easier said than done, but VW appears determined to preserve the nameplate while addressing some of the shortcomings that have held it back. Moving from the MEB platform to SSP should bring several improvements. The next-generation electric architecture is expected to deliver greater range, faster charging, and improved software. The platform's widespread use across the Group's myriad of brands should also help reduce development and manufacturing costs.

Cheaper lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries could further lower the entry price, although VW hasn't confirmed the battery chemistry or specifications for the next ID. Buzz. For now, the company is keeping its cards close to its chest, but work is well underway on a replacement that promises improvements across the board.

2025 VW ID.Buzz

2025 VW ID.Buzz

Photo by: DW Burnett / Motor1

There's Room For Improvements Inside

The interior should also benefit from the changes VW has introduced in its latest models. The current ID. Buzz still has the dreaded touch-sensitive slider, a feature that has attracted plenty of criticism. Newer models, including the ID. Polo, ID.3 Neo, and ID. Tiguan, have moved toward more user-friendly cabins with physical controls and improved usability. For example, having individual buttons for all four windows would be a welcome change.

It would make sense for a second-generation ID. Buzz to adopt this approach, combining its distinctive character with a more practical and intuitive interior. After all, a family-friendly electric van should be easy to use, not require a crash course in touchscreen menus to adjust the temperature. Some changes could even arrive before the second-generation model debuts, considering that the ID. Tiguan is essentially a facelifted version of the existing model. Similarly, the ID.3 Neo is still an ID.3 at its core, albeit with notable tweaks.

2025 VW ID.Buzz

2025 VW ID.Buzz

Photo by: DW Burnett / Motor1

The Design Won't Be More Of The Same

The German automaker knows that the ID. Buzz's styling is one of its strongest selling points. Schäfer described the van as iconic, while design chief Andreas Mindt promised that future versions would remain “interesting.” However, Mindt has also warned against repeating retro designs indefinitely, pointing to the modern Beetle as an example of how nostalgia can eventually lose its appeal.

That leaves VW with an interesting challenge. The next ID. Buzz needs to retain the friendly character that separates it from conventional electric vans without becoming a lazy rehash of the original Microbus. The company knows that reheating the same soup doesn't work indefinitely.

VW isn't interested in resurrecting every nameplate from its past, but it clearly believes in the ID. Buzz deserves another shot. The trick will be evolving the design without losing the personality that makes the electric van stand out.

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Review

Source: DW Burnett / Motor1

When Will The New ID. Buzz Arrive?

Don't expect the second-generation model anytime soon. VW's first vehicle on the SSP platform is expected to be a flagship SUV before the end of the decade. The next ID. Buzz will follow, although Schäfer hasn't provided a launch date. It probably won't happen before 2030.

Meanwhile, VW will continue updating the current model. The company has already started introducing improvements to the existing van, including new software, additional functionality, and more affordable entry-level configurations in certain markets. Hopefully, a more significant mid-cycle facelift will address some of the interior's usability shortcomings.

For some customers, the ID. Buzz remains an appealing alternative to typical electric SUVs, but its high price makes it a tough sell. A more advanced platform and lower production costs could help VW address that problem without stripping away the van's distinctive character.

2025 VW ID.Buzz

2025 VW ID.Buzz

Photo by: Peter Holderith / Motor1

What do you think?

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For now, the electric Microbus isn't going anywhere. VW needs to make sure its next incarnation appeals as much to buyers' wallets as it does to their nostalgia. Sales haven't been that terrible, either, with demand doubling last year to 60,700 units, split almost evenly between the passenger and cargo versions.

However, the ID. Buzz's run in the United States has been short-lived. It won't return until the 2028 model year, unless VW pushes its comeback back again. Meanwhile, Europe is getting a long-wheelbase cargo version with a wooden floor and a second sliding door. Just like the regular ID. Buzz, it now has a steering wheel with real, clicky buttons. Revolutionary, I know.

More About The ID. Buzz:

Meet Volkswagen's First-Ever Electric California Camper

VW Explored A Range-Extending Gas Engine For The ID. Buzz

Source: Auto Express

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