VW's Van Strategy

Van Diesel VW said:

Starting to like the look of the Grand California 600, hoping VW will bring the 600 Dune special edition to the UK as it has 4 motion.

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Winston Rumfoord said:

Me too. My worry with the GC600 is the lack payload. Suspect we just couldn’t bring bikes, paddle board and have the options we’d want to stay under 3.5tn (wouldn’t want to uprate).

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WelshGas said:

Isn’t that the problem VW and others face.
In order to build a family Campervan ( 2 adults 2 children ) for the future with car like dimensions H 2m x W 2m x L 5m and with a MGW of less than 3.5 Tons with an acceptable payload is well nigh impossible without some significant leap forward In battery technology.
1. There is an advance in battery technology , increased power density and decreased battery weight, soon.
2. The vehicle and regulatory weight limits are increased for EV vehicles, including Driving Licence conditions, to compensate for the EV battery weight.

The Driving Licence weight conditions for EV vehicles have been addressed in the UK but no manufacturer seems to have adjusted their model range accordingly.

In Great Britain, the weight limit for electric and hydrogen-powered zero-emission vehicles is now 4,250kg (Maximum Authorised Mass) for a standard Category B driving licence, an increase from the 3,500kg limit for petrol and diesel vehicles
. This change, which took effect on June 10, 2025, allows drivers to operate a wider range of larger electric vans and minibuses without needing a special licence. The increased allowance accounts for the heavier batteries in electric vehicles, aiming to remove barriers to EV adoption by making them more comparable in size and capability to their combustion-engine counterparts.

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sticky1 said:

Hey T7 haters, we’ve now got celebrity endorsement……. you’ll particularly like the bit where he shows all of the kitchen storage taken up with an electric whisk!

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WelshGas said:

Isn’t that the problem VW and others face.
In order to build a family Campervan ( 2 adults 2 children ) for the future with car like dimensions H 2m x W 2m x L 5m and with a MGW of less than 3.5 Tons with an acceptable payload is well nigh impossible without some significant leap forward In battery technology.
1. There is an advance in battery technology , increased power density and decreased battery weight, soon.
2. The vehicle and regulatory weight limits are increased for EV vehicles, including Driving Licence conditions, to compensate for the EV battery weight.

The Driving Licence weight conditions for EV vehicles have been addressed in the UK but no manufacturer seems to have adjusted their model range accordingly.

In Great Britain, the weight limit for electric and hydrogen-powered zero-emission vehicles is now 4,250kg (Maximum Authorised Mass) for a standard Category B driving licence, an increase from the 3,500kg limit for petrol and diesel vehicles
. This change, which took effect on June 10, 2025, allows drivers to operate a wider range of larger electric vans and minibuses without needing a special licence. The increased allowance accounts for the heavier batteries in electric vehicles, aiming to remove barriers to EV adoption by making them more comparable in size and capability to their combustion-engine counterparts.

Click to expand...

Winston Rumfoord said:

Hadn’t thought about future challenges but interesting to read. I think just in general the 4 berth GC600 appears to have a particular small payload compared to other similar-ish options but I need to do more research. It got me wondering whether the overcab bed is significantly heavier than a pop top solution.

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WelshGas said:

I believe it can be up-plated, literally a paper exercise costing about £250, if you have the correct Liscence type.

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