Sure, maybe it's blasphemy to say that any new Volkswagen California camper van is better than the icons that came before it. But Volkswagen has worked quite hard to optimize the freshly launched California eHybrid 4Motion for smart, affordable, carefree road trips. Not only does the new camper bus pack standard all-wheel drive to master the slick conditions inevitable in van life, it boasts a virtually silent, zero-emissions electric range over 80 km (50 miles) per charge. And given it adds only a 6.5% premium over the 2.0-liter turbo-diesel California, why wouldn't a buyer go for the 4Motion PHEV?
When it debuted three years ago, the all-new Multivan came with the option of an eHybrid plug-in system that paired together a 148-hp 1.4-liter TSI engine with a single electric motor for 215 hp combined. A 13-kWh battery powered up to 50 km (30 miles) of all-electric range.
The eHybrid option has provided a nice balance between all-electric driving and long-distance capability, perfect for a city commuter who plans to occasionally take longer trips or a camping enthusiast who can rely on the ICE and gas tank for long treks between points of interest, switching over to zero-emissions power when driving through wilderness areas and campgrounds.
Between that Multivan introduction in 2021 and the launch of the latest Multivan-based California this week, Volkswagen has improved the eHybrid system in every way, making the second-generation iteration even more of a boon for both everyday MPV drivers and van life nomads. The new system, now available on both the Multivan and the California, pairs a 174-hp 1.5-liter TSI evo2 turbo four with two electric motors, one on the front axle and one on the rear axle.
The new layout boosts total available system output up to 241 hp and provides integrated 4Motion all-wheel drive for improved traction in bad weather and light off-road terrain. And if there's one type of vehicle that's sure to encounter snowy highways and shifty gravel and dirty, it's a camper van.
Volkswagen has also increased the system's battery capacity with a new high-voltage 19.7-kWh lithium pack, a move that nearly doubles estimated all-electric range to 91 km (56.5 miles). That rockets the California eHybrid past its primary PHEV competitor: the 56-km (35-mile) Ford Nugget PHEV and its 11.8-kWh battery pack.
The new hybrid system supports all-electric driving at speeds up to 130 km/h (81 mph). Charging capabilities also improve with AC speeds up to 11 kW, up from 3.6 kW on the first-generation Multivan eHybrid system. The liquid-cooled battery can also charge at speeds up to 50 kW at a DC fast charger.
The 4Motion all-wheel-drive system is, of course, another nice advantage of the gen-two eHybrid system, which had only front-wheel drive in its first generation. Volkswagen leverages its Electronic Stability Control system in identifying wheel slip and forwarding up to 100 percent of the drive system force to either the front or rear axle. The driver activates permanent AWD by flipping the van from "drive" to "sport" mode.
The electrified torsion-beam rear axle that powers the rear wheels can continue to run even if the lithium-ion traction battery drops down to zero charge. In this case, energy comes from the TSI engine and front motor working as an electrical generation tandem.
One final advantage that plug-in hybrid technology affords Volkswagen's iconic camper van: battery-powered climate control at camp. Volkswagen says that both the A/C and heat can be turned on while the California is parked. When the charging cable is plugged in, the climate control starts up once the battery is fully charged and runs for up to 30 minutes to adjust interior temperature. When the California is not plugged in, such as during off-grid camping, climate control will run for up to 10 minutes off the battery alone.
So it's not quite the all-night A/C or heating capability you might enjoy in a generously equipped RV with a dedicated camping heater and an air conditioner hooked up to shore power or a generator, but it's definitely more silent comfort adjustment than you'd get in an ICE camper van without a standalone camp heater or A/C unit.
The new California eHybrid 4Motion is now available for preorder in Europe. Base prices announced this week vary between €77,772 (approx. US$83,375) for the Beach Tour light four-sleeper camper spec to €82,907 ($88,875) for the complete California camper van with driver's side kitchen. Those prices are €9,948 and €5,075 more than their respective TDI-engined counterparts, not such a steep premium for all the advantages the eHybrid 4Motion brings, especially if you're looking at the full-blown camper van variant – the extra $5K seems like a no-brainer.
Source: VW Commercial Vehicles
