Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles puts electric van in the spotlight

The premiere of the new VW Bulli attracted a lot of attention at the trade show in Hanover, Germany. Visually upgraded with a clean, sober design, it is the unmistakable heir to its now six predecessors. The new VW Bulli is available in three Transporter variants (estate, panel van and flatbed) and as a Caravelle (passenger transport). The estate and the panel van are optionally available with a high roof and an extended wheelbase. And there are seven engine options: three diesel, one plug-in hybrid and three electric variants.

The most interesting thing about the seventh generation is what has happened under the bonnet. Specifically, the VW Transporter succeeds the T6.1, production of which was discontinued in Hanover this year. And: it is no longer an in-house development from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV), but the result of a cooperation with Ford Pro. As reported, the Volkswagen Transporter will share the technology with the Ford Transit Custom and its electric offshoot E-Transit Custom, which, like the latter, will be produced in Kocaeli, Turkey.

Let’s focus on the battery-electric range: At VWCV, this drive variant is called the e-Transporter or e-Caravelle. The manufacturer has announced three power levels for the electric van: 100 kW, 160 kW, and 210 kW, combined with a 64 kWh battery (net). There will also be an electric version with reduced power and a smaller battery for urban delivery traffic – but VWCV has yet to reveal any more details. The electric motor drives the rear axle; according to VWCV information from August, an all-wheel drive version is also planned.

The key figures for the battery and electric drive are not surprising, as they correspond to the values Ford stated at its model’s world premiere earlier this year. When the US manufacturer first announced its electric transporter in 2022, it gave different figures in some cases, such as 74 kWh battery capacity and a higher range of 380 kilometres.

Ford’s WLTP range of 337 kilometres for the E-Transit Custom should still be sufficient for most tradesmen and delivery jobs. Customers will soon find out whether VWCV’s claim of offering “innovative and versatile vehicles for professionals” can be fulfilled in all areas. High payloads and towing capacity will significantly reduce the range. VWCV only states a towing capacity of “up to 2.8 tons, depending on the variant” – no specific figure is given for the electric version. There is also no figure for the payload (up to 1.33 tons) for the e-Transporter

The new Transporter is 5.05 meters long (+14.6 cm compared to the T6.1), 2.03 meters wide (+12.8 cm) and has a wheelbase of 3.10 meters (+9.7 cm). A 40-cm longer wheelbase will also be available as an option, increasing the exterior length to 5.45 meters. The maximum width between the wheel arches increases by 14.8 cm to 1.39 meters, while the load compartment floor length is 2.60 meters (+6.1 cm). With the extended wheelbase, this is also 40 cm more, i.e. a full three meters. The largest stowage volume of the versions with a standard wheelbase is 5.8 cubic meters. With a long wheelbase and high roof, the volume increases to up to 9.0 cubic meters. We already provided further details—including the interior—in August in an initial presentation round of the new Bulli.

vwn-presse.de (E-Transporter)