This is car news rather than home energy news, but here's what happened: Volkswagen has unveiled the ID. California Cruise, its first fully electric camper van, built on the ID. Buzz. It debuted at Caravan Salon 2026, with first customer deliveries expected in early 2027. Inside, it has a bed roughly 6.66 feet by 3.93 feet, a folding mattress, blackout window blinds, and two camping chairs and a table that stow in the vehicle.
One feature worth noting if you're curious about home backup power: the van supports vehicle-to-load (V2L), meaning it can act as a mobile power source, putting out up to 2,000 watts continuously (3.6 kW peak). That's enough to run a coffee maker, laptop, or small kitchen appliances, or charge an e-bike, similar in concept to how some electric vehicles can now supply backup power to a house during an outage.
Pricing starts at about €60,761 in Germany, roughly $70,500. Volkswagen does not currently sell the gas or electric California camper in the US, and there's no indication this version is coming here. So while the V2L feature is a small preview of how EVs are increasingly doubling as portable power sources, this particular van itself won't be an option for American driveways.
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