PODCAST: VW Caravelle’s hybrid powertrain takes centre stage

The all-new T7 VW Caravelle is expected to make its highly-anticipated local arrival by mid-year. The van will usher in a brand-new era for Volkswagen as Wolfsburg’s first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) in South Africa. The new VW Caravelle features a 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine hooked up to an electric motor and battery pack, which produces a system output of 180kW of power.

That is 34kW more than the 146kW produced by the T6.1’s 2.0litre turbodiesel mill. In this week’s episode ofThe Citizen Motoring‘sPitstoppodcast, we discuss the prospect of the new powertrain. The PHEV is one of the various hybrid powertrains to be introduced locally by VW in future, which also includes mild-hybrid and self-charging hybrid systems.

While the T6.1 range last year made way for a new Transporter line-up that built by Ford alongside the Transit/Tourneo Custom, VW did not avail the Caravelle badge forthe joint venture. The flagship T7 Caravelle rides on the MQB platform that underpins the Golf and Tiguan. The new VW Caravelle blends in with its siblings through distinctive IQ LED headlights and the lightbar which connects them.

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The van’s interior features a 10-inch infotainment system alongside a 10-inch digital instrument cluster. The gear selector moves to the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel. VW claims that the new Caravelle will have an electric range of up to 91km.

And that the van will sip 7.5 litres per 100km when the battery is depleted. Pure electric driving can also be done up to 130km/h, with the bus capable of reaching a top speed of 190km/h on engine power alone. The T7 Caravelle will support AC charging of up to 11kW andDC charging of up to 50kW. Charging the battery from 10 to 80% will; take 26 minutes using a DC fast charger.

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