- The T7 Multivan and California are now available in eHybrid 4Motion guise.
- The gas engine works together with dual electric motors, generating a combined 241 hp.
- The battery is nearly double the size, providing up to 59 miles of EV-only range.
While Volkswagen has gone all-in on the electric ID. Buzz for North America, elsewhere it’s hedging its minivan bets with the T7 lineup, keeping internal combustion in the mix. Outside the US., VW still offers the standard Multivan and its camper sibling, the California, for those not ready to go fully electric. Unveiled this past September at the IAA Transportation show in Germany, these models now get an electrified upgrade with the new eHybrid 4Motion trim, bringing a plug-in hybrid setup and AWD capability.
At the heart of the eHybrid 4Motion is a new PHEV system that produces a combined output of 241 horsepower (180 kW / 245 PS) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque. VW has pieced this together using a 1.5-liter TSI Evo2 gasoline engine pushing 174 hp (130 kW / 177 PS) at the front, paired with a 113-hp (85 kW / 115 PS) front electric motor and a 134-hp (100 kW / 136 PS) motor on the rear axle.
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Power is delivered to all four wheels through a new rear axle that operates purely on electric power, remaining functional even when the battery is depleted. In such cases, the TSI engine and the front electric motor work together to generate the necessary power for the rear axle’s electric motor, with the front motor acting as a generator.
Depending on conditions, the van can engage the front axle, rear axle, or both, with permanent AWD available when Sport mode is activated. Volkswagen has also upgraded the six-speed DSG transmission to handle the increased demands of the hybrid system.
Before this update, the only way to get all-wheel drive in a Multivan was to opt for the 2.0 TDI diesel engine.
The new model’s battery pack is another major improvement. At 19.7 kWh, it nearly doubles the capacity of the outgoing Multivan eHybrid’s 10.4 kWh pack. This translates to a pure-electric range of 91 km (57 miles) for the California and 95 km (59 miles) for the Multivan, both of which can sustain EV mode at speeds of up to 130 km/h (81 mph). For anyone keeping score, the previous FWD-only Multivan eHybrid topped out at 50 km (31 miles) of electric range—meaning you’re now getting almost double the distance on battery alone.
Besides having nearly double the capacity, the lithium-ion battery is also compatible with 11 kW AC charging (up from 3.6 kW AC) and up to 50 kW DC charging. Furthermore, when the vehicle is stationary, battery juice can be used to cool, ventilate, and heat the interior, making it far more comfortable for those overnight stops in remote spots.
The new electrified vans are already available to order in European markets. In Germany, the VW Multivan eHybrid 4Motion is priced from €70,668.15 ($76,100), while the California eHybrid 4Motion featuring an extended body and a pop-up roof starts from €77,772.45 ($83,730).
