Volkswagen of America, riding a streak of six straight quarterly sales increases in the U.S., is seeing modest but steady contributions from the ID Buzz electric minivan.
ID Buzz sales totaled 1,901 in the first three months of 2025, the model’s first full quarter on sale. U.S. deliveries began around Thanksgiving, with sales of 1,162 in the fourth quarter.
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Hein Schafer, VW’s senior vice president of sales operations for the U.S. market, said the company benefited from better ID Buzz availability in the first quarter on the West Coast, notably in California, a critical EV market.
“Only in the last month or so have we really got our California dealers properly stocked,” Schafer said, noting the vast distance between California and Hanover, Germany, where the ID Buzz is built.
Schafer credited California deliveries for pushing ID Buzz sales past 900 in March. VW had averaged monthly U.S. sales of 300 to 500 before March.
West Coast dealers are now ready to roll with the ID Buzz, Schafer said, noting that demand in the region hasn’t been fully satisfied.
The ID Buzz, introduced as a concept at the 2017 Detroit auto show, with the production model shown in 2022, has collected a number of automotive awards including 2025 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year honors.
Some VW retailers, however, have voiced concerns over the van’s range.
The rear-wheel-drive ID Buzz has a range of 234 miles, and all-wheel-drive models are rated with 231 miles of range, VW said.
Shoppers prefer two-tone over single-tone colors
Schafer said initial ID Buzz deliveries were largely 1st Edition models with unique wheels, special badging and other special features. There are some 1st Editions still being delivered, but the rest of the ID Buzz lineup is now arriving at dealerships.
The ID Buzz starts at $61,545 while the 1st Edition starts at $67,045 for rwd and $71,545 for awd. The pricing, which includes shipping, makes the ID Buzz the most expensive model in VW’s U.S. lineup and one of the priciest passenger vans in the U.S.
It is also subject to higher U.S. tariffs, likely putting more upward pressure on pricing over time.
Schafer said buyers have preferred the two-tone exterior. Customers can select from eight two-tone combinations, ranging from Cabana Blue and Candy White to Cherry Red and Metro Silver Metallic.
“The single-tone vehicle doesn’t sell as quick as the two-tone car,” Schafer said.
Production restrictions in Germany meant VW of America had to take more single-tone vehicles in either white, black or silver, Schafer said. The automaker partnered with a wrap provider and is offering dealers an incentive to turn single-tone vehicles into two-tones, Schafer noted.
One VW retailer said a wrap to turn a single-tone ID Buzz into a two-tone costs shoppers about $3,000. The dealer then applies for the incentive and is paid $1,500 by VW.
“As soon as the dealers dress them up and wrap them, we see them moving again,” Schafer said.
How the ID Buzz works as a halo vehicle
Schafer said unlike most EVs, VW has seen a high share of customers decide to purchase the ID Buzz rather than lease, without detailing purchase and lease rates.
EVs made up 9.3 percent of all new-vehicle purchases during the fourth quarter, but 20 percent of all new-vehicle leases, according to Experian data. Half of all new EVs purchased in the fourth quarter were leases.
“There are folks that have been waiting for this car for a very long period of time, folks that want to own it, folks that want to keep it long term,” Schafer said.
And while there are still some customers holding out to purchase the exact ID Buzz they desire, Schafer said VW has an opportunity with leasing.
“Our early learning is just trying to make sure that we can be a little bit sharper on the lease offer, because once we get through the early buyers that have bought it, the pivot again might move very heavily toward the lease channel,” Schafer said.
So far, the ID Buzz has served its purpose as a halo vehicle and showroom draw, Schafer said.
Interest in and around the model has been strong, with visits to VW’s website increasing, Schafer said, without specifying. The ID Buzz has also helped direct sales leads to other models in the VW lineup.
“People might come in looking at a Buzz,” Schafer said. “They might see the Atlas for the first time and might walk out with a set of Atlas keys.”
