Electric VW California: 455 km range · VanLife Weekly #33

A lot happened in the motorhome world last week: Volkswagen showed for the first time what an electric California will look like — the ID. California Cruise concept with an 86 kWh battery and up to 455 km of range; Chamonix banned overnight motorhome parking in natural areas from May to October; a campsite in France with 1,200 holidaymakers was evacuated because of wildfires; and a Serb who spent 34 years driving trucks and survived three heart attacks sold his flat in Belgrade and moved into a camper.

Volkswagen showed what an electric California will look like

The California is Europe's most recognisable camper van: a compact van with a pop-top roof that several generations of travellers grew up with. All that time it stayed diesel, and the question "what happens when diesel gets squeezed out of cities and Alpine valleys" hung without an answer. Last week the answer arrived: Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge confirmed it is working on a fully electric member of the California family and on a whole range of electric campers. The first concept — the ID. California Cruise, based on the ID. Buzz minivan — will be shown at the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, running from 28 August to 6 September.

The numbers are already out, and they matter more than the premiere itself. The concept has an 86 kWh battery and up to 455 kilometres of range, with a production version promised by 2028. At the same time Volkswagen is tackling the biggest pain point of an electric camper — life at a stopover with no power socket: for the ID. Buzz there is now a "Good Night" package with a bed, curtains and a night mode lasting up to 48 hours, delivering up to 2,000 W for household appliances, with orders opening in September. In other words, the vehicle can work as a home for two days without starting the engine or plugging into a post.

The second idea has nothing to do with electricity. Together with the startup Stuff Bubble, the Germans built an inflatable kitchen and an inflatable bed for the California Beach: the modules weigh less than 22 kg in total, the kitchen less than 10 kg, and they go in and out in minutes. This is an answer to some long-standing arithmetic: in a compact camper every kilogram of furniture is taken from the permitted load and, in the electric version, from the range. Inflatable furniture gives you a kitchen when you need one and gives the boot back when you don't. If the idea catches on, other manufacturers will follow — in the compact segment, weight has long been worth more than wood.

In brief

• Germany, hardware: Hymerⓘ presented its Crossover 2027 line-up — the ML-T 570 and Grand Canyon S 600 on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with all-wheel drive, engine and tank protection and all-terrain tyres. All-wheel drive is no longer exotic and is becoming an ordinary line in the price list.
• Germany, show trends: at the 65th Caravan Salon, all-wheel-drive and off-grid motorhomes are growing while classic caravans are losing buyers. Europe is repeating the American path: people want to stop where there is no power post.
• Germany, top end: Vario Mobil showed the twelve-metre Perfect 1200 QS Platinum for 2.2 million euros — with four slide-outs and a garage for a classic car inside.
• Germany, off-road: Laske Expedition presented the transforming Turtle E410 on an Iveco Daily 4x4, from 345,000 euros — with a pop-top roof and slide-out sections.
• UK, micro-campers: Wellhouse Leisure has built a 371 cm camper on the Mitsubishi Delica D:2, from 19,500 pounds — with an L-shaped kitchen, a single bed and a toilet. The vehicle is shorter than many cars, yet you can sleep in it.
• USA, manufacturing: Winnebagoⓘ is closing its Lake Mills plant and moving motorhome production to Forest City, bringing its key operations onto one site.
• Europe, campsites: according to ACSI, out of 10,000 European campsites 90 are adults-only, a 41% increase over five years. Most of them are in the UK and the Netherlands.
• USA, rankings: The Dyrt named the roadside stopover along Valley of the Gods in Utah the country's best campsite — with no water, electricity or shade; half of the top 10 are free dispersed camping areas.
• Spain, investment: camper maker Nomade Nation raised 1.8 million euros to expand production and move into Europe.
• Spain, infrastructure: in Zierbena (Biscay) a 30-pitch stopover with online booking and CCTV has opened, with more than 400,000 euros invested. Northern Spain is closing its long-standing shortage of stopovers faster than the south.
• Spain, astronomy: outside the Zaragoza exhibition centre convoys arrived from Germany, Italy and France for the solar eclipse — organisers expected 57% of the visitors to be foreigners, and hotels were almost fully booked.
• Australia, statistics: New South Wales became the country's leader with 5.5 million trips, while Australia as a whole recorded 17.3 million caravan and camping trips over the year (+14%).
• France, money: because of expensive fuel, motorhome owners are cutting their mileage and switching to domestic routes, while a night at a campsite costs around 40 euros. Renting motorhomes from private owners is growing — the vehicles sit idle less often.
• USA, technology: Buckley Conversions printed a camper interior on an industrial 3D printer instead of using wood and aluminium, starting from a Mercedes-Benz eSprinter.

Where to go

Costa da Morte, Galicia (Spain), September. The Atlantic coast of Galicia is that rare place where September is objectively better than August: the crowds leave, the ocean stays warm, and the famous local fog gives you exactly the light photographers come here for. Viajar magazine has put together a motorhome route through 17 municipalities of lighthouses and cliffs that fits into a weekend — from Cape Finisterre, which the Romans considered the end of the earth, to the Vilán lighthouse. The roads here are narrow but not mountainous, and the distances between stops are short: this is a route for slow driving with long stops, not for covering ground. It suits a couple in a compact van and a family with children alike — almost every village has a beach with easy access. Keep two local realities in mind: free camping is not welcome in Galicia, so it is better to book stopovers, and Atlantic weather changes within an hour, so a tarp and closed-toe shoes are useful even in the heat. If you have long wanted to visit Spain but are tired of the crowded Mediterranean, this is your excuse.

Take care

• France, the Alps and Brittany, until October: the mayor of Chamonix signed a decree banning overnight motorhome parking in natural areas and ordinary car parks from May to October, and in Brittany parking rules were tightened so far that a travellers' association is challenging them in court. If your route goes through Mont Blanc or the Breton coast, book a campsite in advance and don't count on "we'll spend the night in the car park by the lift" — in season that is a guaranteed fine.
• France, wildfires, right now: in Pas-de-Calais around 1,200 people were evacuated from a campsite because of two fires, and on the A46 near Lyon a motorhome overturned and caught fire, with the flames spreading to vegetation, the road was closed in both directions and trains were stopped. Before entering a forested region, sign up for local emergency alerts, keep your tank at least half full, and when you arrive at a site, check straight away whether there is a second way out.
• Japan, Aomori and Yamagata, August: an adult bear was spotted near the Nishihama campsite in Yuza — about 130 people were evacuated, and in Aomori Prefecture the campsite by Mount Bonjusan was closed overnight, from 4 pm to 9 am. If you are heading to northern Japan, check the site's status on the day you arrive, don't leave food or rubbish outside the vehicle, and take a bell on walks — that is exactly what local rules ask for, not bravery.
• Turkey and Italy, patrols and bans: in Datça, Turkey, the gendarmerie and the forestry service are clearing tents and caravans out of the forests and off the coast, and the municipality of Cison di Valmarino has banned motorhome parking, with the Ancc association threatening legal action. Check the latest municipal decrees before you set off: summer bans in the Mediterranean are introduced a week or two ahead, and the sign at the entrance appears before the news does.

Something good to finish

Two stories worth forwarding.

Thirty-four years behind the wheel of a truck — and finally a road of his own. Nenad Milovanović from Belgrade sold his flat, bought a camper and has been travelling around Serbia for four months, making jewellery from natural materials. Before that he spent thirty-four years as a long-haul driver and survived three heart attacks. Usually these stories are told by young people who "dropped everything"; here is a man who spent his whole life in a cab on someone else's route and finally took his own.

A farm where the night is free and the neighbours are goats. The Normandy farm La Chèvre Rit has been hosting motorhomes for free since 2020, and 70 vehicles stopped there in July 2026; the owner plans to add storage lockers for travellers. While towns across Europe are putting up barriers and introducing night-time bans, the countryside is quietly doing the opposite — and the queue of people who want to come never runs out.

This week's questions

When will you be able to buy an electric VW California?

The production version is promised by 2028, and the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, from 28 August to 6 September, will only show the concept — the ID. California Cruise based on the ID. Buzz. The stated figures: an 86 kWh battery and up to 455 kilometres of range. Separately, and already this year, orders open for the ID. Buzz "Good Night" package with a bed, curtains and a night mode lasting up to 48 hours with up to 2,000 W of output — that is available from September and doesn't require waiting until 2028.

What should you do if a bear is spotted near your campsite?

Follow the staff's instructions and don't treat a closure as over-caution: in Yamagata about 130 people were evacuated when a bear appeared, and in Aomori a campsite is simply closed overnight, from 4 pm to 9 am. The practical part is simple: all food, rubbish and dishes go inside the vehicle, not in the awning and not on the table; it is better not to cook where you sleep; take a bell or any noise-maker on walks. And check the campsite's status on the day you arrive — in Japan closure decisions are made a few hours ahead.

When is the best time to take a motorhome to Galicia?

September. The summer crowds leave, the ocean stays warm, and the Atlantic light is the best of the year. A ready-made option is the Costa da Morte route through 17 municipalities of lighthouses and cliffs that fits into a weekend, from Finisterre to the Vilán lighthouse. Two caveats: free camping is not encouraged in Galicia, so it is better to book stopovers, and the coastal weather changes within an hour — warm clothes are needed even in a hot week.

Is it true that there are more adults-only campsites?

Yes, but there are still very few of them. According to ACSI, out of 10,000 European campsites, 90 use the adults-only format. The growth is noticeable though: five years ago there were 64, so that is a 41% increase. Most of these places are in the UK and the Netherlands. If you are travelling with children, look for the adults-only note in the description in advance — on arrival they simply won't check you in, and at the height of the season there may be no free alternative nearby.

Where can you stay overnight for free, now that wild camping is banned more and more often?

Increasingly, at farms and small producers. La Chèvre Rit in Normandy has been hosting motorhomes for free since 2020, and 70 vehicles stopped there in July 2026; there are hundreds of such farms in France, and they usually count not on a fee but on you buying something — cheese, wine, honey. The courtesy rules are the same everywhere: arrange it in advance, arrive before dark, don't spread your awning and table across the whole yard, leave in the morning and leave the spot cleaner than you found it.

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