The Volkswagen ID. Buzz Gets Bidirectional Charging And Real Buttons

Volkswagen is adding several new features to its electric minibus. However, America won’t be getting any of them.

Photo by: Volkswagen

Iulian Dnistran

By: Iulian Dnistran

Apr 23, at 7:14am ET

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Volkswagen is adding new features to the ID. Buzz electric minivan for 2026.
The battery-powered family hauler is getting vehicle-to-load, real buttons, an improved infotainment system, and more.
American customers shouldn’t hold their breath, though, as the U.S. is skipping the new model.

The Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric minivan is getting some welcome additions for 2026, including a new infotainment system, a higher towing capacity, real buttons, and the ability to use the car as a huge battery bank on wheels, courtesy of the newly introduced vehicle-to-load functionality.

However, there’s a huge asterisk here. All these features won’t make their way to the United States–at least not in the immediate future–as the company has recently decided to skip the 2026 ID. Buzz model, focusing instead on selling its inventory of 2025 models.

Photo by: Volkswagen

With all of this out of the way, let’s see what this mild technical update is all about. For 2026, the European-spec ID. Buzz Pro can now be had with a dual-motor all-wheel drive version that ups the power output to 335 horsepower (250 kilowatts) and the maximum towing capacity to 1,800 kilograms (3,968 pounds).

That’s 54 horsepower more oomph and 600 kg (1,322 lbs) extra towing capacity compared to the rear-wheel drive versions. It’s worth noting that the highest tow rating only applies to the standard-wheelbase version, though, with the long-wheelbase model rated for a maximum of 1,600 kg (3,527).

Before this update, the ID. Buzz could be had with 4Motion all-wheel drive only when going for the sporty GTX version.

The battery capacities have remained the same, coming in at 79 kilowatt-hours (usable) for the short model and 86 kWh for the long-wheelbase version, but now both can export energy to power things like appliances and tools, thanks to the addition of vehicle-to-load (V2L). An adapter that plugs into the charge port enables a maximum power output of 2 kW.

There’s more good news inside. The fiddly touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel have been replaced with a set of proper, physical buttons. The touch sliders under the central infotainment touchscreen are still there, but now the infotainment system itself has been improved, offering a new app store that allows drivers to activate or expand functions or services at the press of a button.

Photo by: Volkswagen

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A few convenience features are also now part of the pack. The ID. Buzz gets a fully featured one-pedal driving system that can bring the car to a complete stop without pressing the brake pedal. What’s more, the updated Connected Travel Assist system can now automatically recognize traffic lights.

The updated Volkswagen ID. Buzz will hit showroom floors in continental Europe and the United Kingdom this summer. While this is not great news for American customers, there’s still a chance that these features will make their way to the 2027 U.S.-spec ID. Buzz.