Volkswagen electrifies the Multivan and California

Volkswagen has announced that it will be electrifying the Multivan bus and the California camper van with new plug-in hybrid variants that offer all-wheel drive.

The new variants, christened the Multivan eHybrid 4MOTION and the California eHybrid 4MOTION, are both powered by a high-tech 130kW (174bhp) four-cylinder petrol engine (1.5 TSI evo2), which is combined with an electric motor on the front axle with an output of 85kW (114bhp).

The four-cylinder engine in both vehicles has features like a variable turbine geometry turbocharger with efficient high-pressure injection

The motor is integrated into a plug-in hybrid module together with a direct-shift gearbox, making it possible to include a third technical module: A second electric motor on the rear axle with an output of 100kW (134bhp). Both drive motors and the engine combined offer 350Nm of torque.

A new 19.7kWh lithium-ion battery powering both electric motors offers electric ranges of up to 95km for the Multivan and 91km for the California. It also allows for up to 11kW of AC charging and, for the first time, up to 50kW of DC rapid charging.

Both the Multivan eHybrid and the California eHybrid can be driven purely electrically at speeds of up to 130km/h, with a top speed of 200km/h in hybrid mode.