Volkswagen’s ID Buzz now has a custom camper van that’s as smart and charming as an electric microbus. It’s called the eVentje, and it’s now generally available in Europe.
Designed and sold by Ventje, a small but rapidly growing company based in the Netherlands, the eVentje tuner has been doing very well until VW finally releases the Californian version of the ID Buzz – which will still be at least a few years away. The long delay since sales start in Europe in 2022 has made room for a booming aftermarket for ID Buzz campervan products, including the excellent and relatively cheap Ququq camping box I’ve reviewed before.
I first tested a Ventje campervan built on top of a VW Transporter T5 van in 2022, then lived and worked on the ID Buzz for a few weeks in 2023. . Let me tell you, this is definitely a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. The ID Buzz has always been a sight to behold as you drive by – and now the excitement continues when the doors open to reveal the adaptive Ventje interior.
The overall design of the Ventje camper still relies on more than 100 magnets to keep all wooden surfaces aligned and locked in place. There’s also a kitchen accessible from both the inside and outside, a pop-up tent and a multifunctional interior space that can transform from lounge to bed to luxurious outdoor furniture in minutes. Until now, everything has been improved with one important addition: a folding table and hidden stools to create an outdoor bar. syncope.
The kitchen has received several improvements, providing more adaptable prep surfaces (always a challenge in small spaces) and smarter use of storage. Ventje also uses not one but two induction cooktops, which include a 2200W inverter and 2160Wh leisure battery (rechargeable via Volkswagen’s drive battery), a 350W solar panel and a mini on the back of the lower section of the cooktop. Shore power outlet.
Ventje also offers 8 USB outlets (4 USB-A, 4 USB-C), a 12V car jack, 3 wireless charging interfaces, and 3 230V AC outlets, making it easier to power all your devices powered by. There are more lighting options, including dimmable LED light strips and closable skylights in the pop-up tent.
Volkswagen’s poorly designed software still mars an otherwise excellent driving experience, and even with all the Ventje’s customization, the ride remains rattling-free. Volkswagen is expected to eventually enable camping mode on the ID Buzz, a feature already found on its existing California range of campers. This will make the ID Buzz’s heating and cooling more intuitive when parked and allow owners to more easily disable the interior motion alert when all doors are locked at night.
The eVentje can seat 4 people, but currently only 2 on the highway. It’s built around the regular-wheelbase ID Buzz, rather than the long-wheelbase model launching in Europe and the US (finally!) later this year. Still, my wife and I didn’t want more space, even with the dogs on the trip.
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The eVentje, like the ID Buzz, isn’t cheap, and soon in Europe it will have to compete with Volkswagen’s new PHEV “T7” California campervan, which will go on sale in June and will likely cost about the same. But that model lacks the retro-futuristic appeal of the all-electric ID Buzz, and its interior is arguably less flexible than the Ventje’s warm custom design, and it’s definitely not as interesting.
Prices for the revised eVentje ID Buzz start at €95,000 (approximately $103,000 USD) in Europe. Orders placed today will be shipped within nine months to customers in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Ventje said it also plans to expand to the UK and US in time.
Importantly, Ventje is doing something Volkswagen hasn’t done since it first launched the ID Buzz in 2017: providing a worthy all-electric successor to the iconic Type 2 camper van.
Photography: Thomas Ricker/The Verge
