Volkswagen has finally brought its iconic California camper into the electric era. Revealed at the Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf, the ID. California Cruise is the first fully electric camper to carry the California name. Based on the ID. Buzz, it offers a simpler take on the traditional camper van, focusing on giving you a place to sleep and the freedom to travel without turning the van into a full-blown motorhome.
The ID. California Cruise is based on the ID. Buzz Pro and can be specified with either the short- or long-wheelbase body. It uses the larger 86 kWh battery and a single electric motor driving the rear wheels, producing 286 bhp. Volkswagen quotes a WLTP range of up to 455 km, while the battery can accept up to 200 kW on a DC fast charger.
Where things get interesting is the camping equipment. Unlike the conventional California, the Cruise doesn’t get a built-in kitchen or a pop-up roof. Instead, Volkswagen has kept things relatively simple to keep weight and complexity under control. There’s a sleeping arrangement for two, with a flat bed measuring 2.03 metres long and 1.20 metres wide. A specially developed nine-centimetre-thick folding mattress is included, while all the windows can be covered with blinds to keep the cabin dark at night. There are also ventilation grilles for the front side windows, along with two camping chairs and a table for use outside. The camping kit can also be ordered separately as an option for the ID. Buzz, rather than being permanently built into the vehicle. This means owners can use the van as a regular ID. Buzz when they aren’t heading out on a camping trip.
Volkswagen has also developed some software specifically for camping. The California app gets additional functions, while a dedicated California mode allows various lighting and comfort functions to be managed from the van. It can also keep USB ports powered and operate the climate control for up to 48 hours, depending on the battery charge and outside conditions.
The relatively simple layout is partly down to weight. Volkswagen had originally planned to launch an electric California earlier, but turned the ID. Buzz into a full camper with a kitchen, water tanks, furniture and a pop-up roof would have pushed its weight up significantly. That created a problem with Europe’s 3.5-tonne limit for vehicles that can be driven on a standard licence, forcing Volkswagen to rethink its plans.
The company now plans to expand the electric California family gradually. A more fully equipped electric camper with features such as a kitchen and pop-up roof is expected around 2028, when changes to European driving-licence rules could allow the relevant weight limit to increase to 4.25 tonnes.
For now, the ID. California Cruise is essentially an electric camper for people who want the freedom to sleep in their van without turning it into a permanent motorhome.
