VW reveals three-row ID. Buzz for North America, sales start 2024
VW has revealed the much-anticipated North American version of its ID. Buzz electric microbus, with an extra row of seats and starting deliveries next year.
The new ID. Buzz version is much like the two-row European spec, but with a little more of just about everything. It has 282hp as opposed to 201hp (plus an available 330hp dual-motor configuration) with a top speed of 99 mph instead of 90 mph, 91kWh instead of 82kWh of battery, and is a full 10 inches longer.
Those additional 10 inches all come in the form of a 10-inch-longer wheelbase on the NA-spec. At 192.4 inches long, the three-row ID. Buzz is actually a full 2 feet longer than VW’s original 168-inch-long microbus. This all means more space for humans and cargo compared to the two-row version (though the extra row of seats takes up some of that space, but the 2nd row folds flat and 3rd row can be removed).
It also means room for an extra 9kWh of battery. VW hasn’t yet announced the range of the three-row version, though the European spec has 263 miles on the WLTP cycle. While the NA-spec has a larger battery, it’s also a longer and heavier vehicle, and EPA mileage estimates are significantly lower than WLTP estimates, so we can’t be sure what the final number will shake out as.
We don’t know if there are any changes to the Buzz’s charging capability either – the EU spec has 170kW charging, and that will likely stay the same for the US version, but a larger battery could enable slightly faster charging speeds, which would be nice.
The only efficiency-related answer VW provided in its press release is that the Buzz has a drag coefficient of .29, which it calls “very good for a vehicle of this shape” (i.e., a brick).
As for other differences, the North American model comes in three new colors that aren’t available on the European spec: Cabana Blue, Metro Silver, and Indium Grey.
VW hasn’t yet specified a price for the US version of the ID.Buzz, but it starts in the $65K-$70K range in Europe after taxes. The US version will be bigger, so might also cost more, but the starting price would likely be quoted as a little lower, since US taxes are added after the fact. Nevertheless, we can expect that this vehicle will probably be priced closer to the higher end of the electric SUV market, rather than the entry level.
We mention electric SUVs because there isn’t really another vehicle like this. There’s one plug-in hybrid minivan, the Pacifica Hybrid, and some commercial electric vans like the eSprinter and E-Transit. The ID. Buzz sits somewhere adjacent to a van and a minivan, with more character than either, so it’s hard to really find a direct competitor for it.
But the closest thing is probably minivans, and this will be much higher price than the gas-powered entry-level of that market, which is in the ~$35K range. That said, the Buzz gets access to incentives and will have lower running costs from energy and maintenance.
And, as the first all-electric entry into the market, VW probably thinks it can justify a higher price. Anecdotally, there does seem to be significant demand out there for a cool minivan-esque electric vehicle – especially one that could enable interesting conversion/adventure options.
VW didn’t give us any more news about the upcoming California camper van that it’s planning, but the long wheelbase gives VW room to work with. With all that space and built-in electricity, there should be some really cool options out there for van-lifers (perhaps even ones who want to stay off the grid with solar panels).
The public will get its first chance to look at the 3-row ID. Buzz later today, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at VW’s unveiling event in Huntington Beach, California, at the beach parking lot at 21101 E. Pacific Coast Hwy.
Electrek’s Take
We’ll be at the reveal event later today in Huntington Beach, so we’ll get a chance to have some hands-on time with the van and see what it’s like in person.
As someone whose family had a VW Vanagon Westfalia camper growing up, the VW bus has special significance to me. My family went on a lot of adventures in that bus, and for all its quirks, it was an awesome vehicle.
And when I got into electric vehicles, I constantly thought about what a great platform a bus would be for an EV, with plenty of room under the floor for batteries which could power various camping accessories (stoves, lights, entertainment, etc.).
Electric drive can provide significant benefits to minivan-type vehicles because there’s plenty of room on the floor of the vehicle to fit a battery. This helps designers with packaging the powertrain, freeing up space that would otherwise be filled with engines, driveshafts or the like.
So when Voltswagen showed off its original ID. Buzz concept and leaned hard into the cool retro style of it all, I was immediately sold on the idea. I, and many others, thought it was just too cool.
Then reality set in, and the car ended up looking a little less “cute” than the original retro concept. The finalized version got a little more boxy shape, lost the characteristic old multi-window look, and the commercial/cargo version even lost the rear windows to just look like a normal van.
But still, between the two-tone paint job and short overhangs, the ID. Buzz remains more “fun” than a normal van. And it does have more character than most minivans, and is less boxy than other vans like the Sprinter and Transit.
I do question, however, why North America can’t have the two-row version. It seems like everyone is releasing a three-row EV this year, as if suddenly every American family gained two or three extra members that their European counterparts did not.
Somehow, my family’s 180-inch camper slept my whole American family comfortably, despite being a foot shorter than today’s offering – and it even had a kitchen, too.
We have a strange obsession with bigger vehicles here, despite their enormous costs to society (e.g., thousands of pedestrian lives). Some would say that Americans simply demand larger vehicles, but the problem is more complex than that – it’s largely driven by poor regulation that incentivizes the upsizing of cars. Thankfully the EPA has shown signs that it would like to bend the needle back, but somewhat slowly.
Until then, we still get a neat, retro-esque bus that looks like it could get some awesome camper capabilities. But some of us may still wait for a more micro-version of the classic microbus, instead of the maxi-micro-bus America is getting now.
And there are still some questions that are yet unanswered (price, range, charging), but I’m excited to see what VW does with this bus anyway – and to see it in person in a few hours at the Huntington Beach reveal.
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New York City just brought another EV fast-charging station online, this time in the Bronx, one of the city’s most underserved areas for clean transportation.
The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) has opened a new public fast-charging station at its White Plains Road Municipal Parking Field in the Bronx Park East section of the borough, at 2071 White Plains Road.
The site includes four DC fast chargers, three 50 kW units, and one 175 kW unit, which can give most EVs an 80% charge in about 20 minutes. Four additional Level 2 chargers can fully charge most vehicles in six to eight hours.
This new Bronx hub sits in a community with one of the city’s highest concentrations of Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) drivers. Nearly 1,000 TLC-licensed drivers live nearby, and another 1,500 live in adjacent neighborhoods. TLC drivers can sign up through the EV Connect app for a 15% discount on charging fees.
“Achieving a greener transportation future means investing in electric vehicle chargers that will help us say goodbye to fossil fuels,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, a former cab driver himself. “East Bronxites will benefit significantly from these new EV chargers, and we look forward to continuing this critical work to fulfill the Adams administration’s ambitious goals.”
Those goals include the Green Rides Initiative, which aims to make all high-volume for-hire vehicle trips zero-emission or wheelchair-accessible by 2030. The new Bronx station also moves the city closer to Mayor Adams’ PlaNYC target of ensuring that every New Yorker lives within 2.5 miles of a fast charger by 2035. With this latest installation, the share of New Yorkers who live near a fast charger jumps from 81% to 88%.
The Bronx currently has the fewest fast chargers of any borough, and most of the city’s existing stations are concentrated in higher-income areas of Manhattan and inner Brooklyn and Queens. NYC DOT says this new location is part of a push to make EV charging more equitable and accessible.
As of September 2025, 79,036 EVs are registered in New York City – about 25% of New York State’s EVs.
Read more: NYC’s newest EV charger hangs 10 feet high on a lamppost
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The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 was one of the most affordable EVs you could lease in the US. Although the $7,500 EV credit has now expired, Hyundai is keeping the savings going with the 2026 model.
Hyundai extends EV deals for the 2026 IONIQ 5
Hyundai reduced prices on the 2026 IONIQ 5 by up to $9,800 earlier this month compared to the outgoing model. Starting at under $35,000, it’s now one of the most affordable EVs, putting it on par with the Chevy Equinox EV.
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 remains a top-selling EV in the US, and may still be your best bet if you’re looking to go electric.
You can still lease the new 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5 SE Standard Range for as low as $289 per month. That’s only $10 more per month than before the $7,500 federal EV tax credit expired at the end of September. The offer is for a 24-month lease with $3,999 due at signing.
However, upgrading to the longer-range SE trim might be an even better option. The 2026 IONIQ 5 SE is listed at just $299 per month, even though it costs $2,500 more than the base model at $37,500.
The standard range model has an EPA-estimated driving range of 245 miles, while the SE trim offers considerably more, at up to 318 miles. For just 10$ more per month, a 30% improvement in range is a pretty sweet deal.
Hyundai is offering $4,500 in lease cash on the longer range 2026 IONIQ 5 SE, compared to just $750 for the base model.
| Hyundai IONIQ 5 Trim | Driving Range (miles) | 2025 Starting Price | 2026 Starting Price* | Price Reduction |
| IONIQ 5 SE RWD Standard Range | 245 | $42,600 | $35,000 | ($7,600) |
| IONIQ 5 SE RWD | 318 | $46,650 | $37,500 | ($9,150) |
| IONIQ 5 SEL RWD | 318 | $49,600 | $39,800 | ($9,800) |
| IONIQ 5 Limited RWD | 318 | $54,300 | $45,075 | ($9,225) |
| IONIQ 5 SE Dual Motor AWD | 290 | $50,150 | $41,000 | ($9,150) |
| IONIQ 5 SEL Dual Motor AWD | 290 | $53,100 | $43,300 | ($9,800) |
| IONIQ 5 XRT Dual Motor AWD | 259 | $55,500 | $46,275 | ($9,225) |
| IONIQ 5 Limited Dual Motor AWD | 269 | $58,200 | $48,975 | ($9,225) |
For those looking to save a little extra, Hyundai is still offering $11,000 in retail cash on 2025 IONIQ 5 models and 0% APR financing for 72 months. The 2025 IONIQ 5 can be leased from $189 per month until November 3. The offer is also for 36 months with $3,999 due at signing.
Interested in test-driving Hyundai’s electric SUV? You can use our link to find Hyundai IONIQ 5 models at a dealership near you.
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Californians just set another record for zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) adoption. In Q3 2025, residents bought 124,755 ZEVs – that’s nearly 1 in 3 new cars sold statewide. The 29.1% market share marks California’s highest quarterly total of ZEVs yet.
Governor Gavin Newsom called the milestone proof that Californians are all-in on clean transportation, even as the federal government moves in the opposite direction. “We’re nearing a third of all new vehicles sold in the fourth-largest economy on the planet being clean cars,” he said. “While Trump sells out American innovation to China, California will keep charging ahead on our path to a future of cleaner air.”
California Energy Commissioner Nancy Skinner added that the state’s massive charging expansion is paying off. Thanks to new investments, nearly every Californian now lives within 10 minutes of an EV fast charger. “Now, new EV owners can enjoy a great driving experience, bidding goodbye to smelly gas stations, messy oil changes, and costly engine tune-ups,” she said.
The state’s ZEV market is also growing more diverse. In Q1 2024, there were 105 ZEV models available; by Q1 2025, that number had climbed to 146. Of the 124,755 ZEVs sold in Q3, 108,685 were fully electric, nearly a 30% jump from Q2 2025.
Read more: California now has 68% more EV charger ports than gas nozzles
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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