Volkswagen has been busily adding small but impactful upgrades to its camper van lineup over the past couple months, outfitting the all-electric ID. Buzz with its first factory camper kit and adding traction battery-powered overnight air conditioning to the plug-in California van. Now it turns its attention to its largest, most comfortable camper van (and the only one with a bathroom): the Grand California. Newly available electrical upgrades promise to give the Grand California more self-sufficient roaming capability, allowing it to overnight on remote patches of earth without hookups and without giving up even the slightest bit of comfort.
Staring at the upgraded Grand California 600 head-on, one can immediately see the first sign of the upgrades package in the form of the 104-W solar panel mounted at the front of the van's puffy high-roof cabover. Part of the optional new Self-Sufficiency package, that panel goes about feeding the dual-40-Ah LFP battery system that comes along with it, replacing the standard 92-Ah AGM battery. The solar panel for the larger Grand California 680 grows with the size of the van, offering 174 watts.
Volkswagen notes that swapping out the standard AGM leisure battery for the pair of LiFePO4 batteries, which can also be done on its own without the solar panel, increases total usable capacity by nearly 40%. More specifically, usable capacity jumps from 46 Ah on the single AGM setup to 64 Ah on the dual-LFP configuration.
So why does the new lithium system have more usable capacity despite having 12 Ah less rated capacity? Lithium batteries in general are capable of discharging a greater percentage of their full capacity without any negative effects, commonly offering usable capacities of 80% or more. AGM batteries, on the other hand, can begin to experience sulfation issues at discharge depths exceeding 50% of their total rated capacity, leading to potential failure, performance reduction and/or shortened life cycles.
So the usable capacity for the Grand California's standard AGM battery is fixed at 50% of the total capacity – 0.5 x 92 = 46 Ah. Despite having a lower rated capacity of 80 Ah, the new dual-LFP battery system is able to use a full 80% of that total reserve – 0.8 x 80 = 64 Ah.
Beyond that major advantage, the bump up to LFP tech also offers a cycle life five times higher than the AGM battery, according to VW, and features integrated deep-discharge protection to ensure smooth operation and long lifespan.
Equally as notable, the LFP batteries offer faster charge and discharge rates, allowing them to top off more quickly. Couple that with the integrated rooftop solar panel, and the Grand California charges while on the move and while at camp, better maintaining battery capacity for increased off-grid self sufficiency.
Long story short, the much-loved "great Volkswagen road trip" gets even greater, letting drivers veer off the highway and find their true freedom at more serene, remote destinations ... without giving up any onboard amenities. Both Grand California models can also be equipped with optional 4Motion all-wheel drive, helping adventurers reach those far-flung spaces.
Speaking of the part of van life spent behind the wheel, Volkswagen has slightly reworked the Grand California's driver-assistance suite to make driving a little less draining. A standard driver monitoring system keeps an eye out for driver fatigue while a newly available intersection assist option provides monitoring and collision avoidance at intersections, which could be particularly useful in helping drivers safely transition to high-traffic areas after long hours of continuous highway driving.
Available for preorder now, the newest front-wheel-drive Grand California 600 starts at €83,508 (approx. US$95,675) with a 161-hp TDI engine, while the 4Motion AWD variant starts at €89,655 (US$102,725). The new Self-Sufficiency package debuts as a €1,720 (US$1,970) option, while the dual-LFP batteries alone without the solar cost €833 (US$955).
The Grand California 680, meanwhile, starts at €86,465 (US$99,075) in front-wheel-drive and €92,624 (US$106,125) in 4Motion AWD. The standalone LFP battery setup costs the same €833, but the full Self-Sufficiency package increases to €2,326 ($2,665) owing to the higher capacity solar charging.
Source: VW Commercial Vehicles
