Volkswagen of America has pushed the ID. Buzz's US return back to the 2028 model year, telling dealers on 24 September 2026 that the electric van will skip another model year. The delay leaves VW with a shrinking US electric lineup and a van that sold 6,140 units in its first full year.

The timing was abrupt. One day earlier, on 23 September, VW had listed the 2027 model year ID. Buzz in a press release about its in-car gaming offering, AirConsole. As recently as May 2026, VW had announced the van's return for the 2027 model year, with the range set to reach dealerships gradually from August 2026 through early 2027 and the ID. Buzz expected in autumn 2026.

VW presented the 2028 model year as a consolidation of several improvements. The updates announced for the skipped year will carry over: NACS charging via an adapter, one-pedal driving, physical buttons on the steering wheel, and the Tourer trim line aimed at camping enthusiasts, which VW says is based on the European Good Night Package. New additions include updated software, vehicle-to-load functionality, and a digital vehicle key.

Two of those features are not entirely new for the ID. Buzz. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles announced a comprehensive update for Europe in April 2026 that includes physical buttons replacing the unpopular touch-sensitive surfaces and V2L capability, which can supply devices with up to 2 kW via an adapter at the charging port. VW has not disclosed the power output of the US version. The automaker also remains silent on whether the drivetrain, battery, or range will change.

A bumpy market launch

The ID. Buzz, built exclusively by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Hanover, launched in the US in November 2024 with an EPA range of 234 miles and a starting price just under $60,000. It was the most expensive model in VW's US lineup at the time. Analysts cited by Automotive News noted that the high price and limited range constrained its appeal.

Two sales stops reduced volumes in 2025, compounded by two recalls and the high US import tariffs in place since spring 2025. The ID. Buzz never qualified for the $7,500 federal tax credit, according to InsideEVs, and the end of that incentive contributed to a broader decline in the US EV market. VW confirmed in December 2025 that it would skip the 2026 model year after assessing market conditions, without abandoning the model entirely.

VW sold an additional 2,481 units in the first half of 2026. Automotive News estimates the sell-off of the 2025 model year is nearly complete: Cars.com lists only 38 new ID. Buzz vehicles remaining nationwide.

A shrinking US lineup

The delay lands as VW's electric offering in the US is already contracting. US CEO Kjell Gruner said in April 2026 that new EV models would not arrive in the US until the end of the decade, a decision confirmed by headquarters in Wolfsburg. A VW spokesperson said the future SSP electric platform will serve as the basis for those models. Until then, the ID.4 and ID. Buzz are to remain the focus.

That same month, however, VW halted ID.4 production at its Chattanooga plant to focus on the second-generation Atlas, the internal combustion SUV. VW states that 2026 model year inventory will meet ID.4 demand through 2027. The automaker announced a future version for North America in May 2026. In Europe, the ID.4's successor will celebrate its world premiere next month and is set to be renamed the ID. Tiguan. Whether that model reaches the US remains unclear.

VW, for its part, explicitly reaffirms its commitment to the ID. Buzz. A VW spokesperson told InsideEVs that the van remains an important part of the US portfolio and that the company stands by its future in the US market.

What to watch next: VW plans to provide further details about the 2028 model year in the coming months. The remaining question is whether the consolidated updates — V2L, NACS charging, physical buttons — can lift the van's US appeal after two skipped model years and a nearly complete sell-off of 2025 stock.