It sounded like a premature April Fool's joke... And it turned out to be.

Seemingly confirming that it will no longer be called Volkswagen in the U.S., VW said Tuesday, March 30, that the apparent name change to "Volkswagen of America" was an attempt to show the automaker's commitment to making more electric cars in the future, admitted that it was an overdone promotional April Fool's gag.

The Wall Street Journal and Reuters forced VW to admit that the gag was over.

The first car to be unveiled by Volkswagen is the ID Buzz, which will be available in two different versions, a rear-wheel drive-only version producing about 200 hp and an all-wheel drive version producing 300 hp.

The Buzz will be available in the US in 2023 and in Europe in 2022.

Its European Buzz will also do double duty, offering both passenger and commercial van options; VW is working on a fully automated version of the commercial variant, but it will arrive much later than the standard model; according to Car and Driver, EU models will come in short- and long-wheelbase versions, while U.S. models will be long-wheelbase only.

Like the ID 3 and ID 4, which are also electric vehicles, the Buzz is built on Volkswagen's MEB platform. This platform forms the basis for a variety of VW Group vehicles, including Audi, Skoda, and Seat. Volkswagen plans to fully transition to electric vehicles by 2030, when there will be about 300 electric vehicle models under 12 brand names.

With a traditional EV layout with batteries under the floor, the practical applications for the Buzz are very broad. For those with two or more children, it would be very attractive just for commuting to school. In addition, flexible seating and ample interior space give the vehicle endless customization options.

The Buzz first appeared as a concept in 2017 with its trademark flat front. While the final version may have some cosmetic changes, the company has clearly put a lot of thought into creating a van that captures the spirit of the original Buzz. These vehicles have been iconic since VW first introduced them in 1950.

This iconic van continued to be produced until 1979 when it was replaced by a vehicle called the T3, which retained the practicality of the original but lost its charm and personality, while hiding what made the ID Buzz so special, a very practical vehicle for families, cute charm, and a return to what was needed for literally everyone on TikTok who now lives in a Mercedes Sprinter.