Volkswagen’s new electric camper van turns the ID. Buzz into a home on wheels

This one is about a vehicle, not a house upgrade, but here's what's happening. Volkswagen is turning its electric ID. Buzz van into a camper, called the ID. California Cruise. It's the first fully electric version of VW's California camper line, built with Stuff Bubble, the company behind an inflatable camping kitchen. The two are developing lightweight, inflatable add-ons, a kitchen module and a bed, that let someone turn a regular van into a working camper in minutes without permanent fixtures. The kitchen weighs under 23 pounds and includes a self-contained water system. The bed weighs 12 pounds as a single or 26 as a double, and the concept shown sleeps four.

Volkswagen will show the ID. California Cruise, along with a gas-based concept called the California Beach, at the Caravan Salon show in Germany, running August 28 to September 6. Full specs haven't been released, but since it's based on the ID. Buzz, it will likely offer the same 79- or 86-kWh battery options, giving a range of roughly 250 to 300 miles depending on trim. VW says this is an early step toward a full lineup of electric campers arriving through 2028.

Whether any of this reaches the US is unclear. Volkswagen doesn't currently sell its gas California camper here, but the ID. Buzz did just return for 2027 with a camper-style Tourer trim that includes a fold-out mattress, so a US version isn't out of the question.