Volkswagen Launches The All-New Caravelle PHEV In South Africa

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Plug-in hybrids are the hottest thing in South Africa right now in terms of sales growth. Sales of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) were up 280% in 2025 compared with sales figures from 2024. In total, 738 PHEVs were sold in 2024 and 2,808 PHEVs were sold in 2025 in the passenger vehicle segment in South Africa. The overall new vehicle sales market was up 16%, as 596,818 units were sold in South Africa in 2025. That means PHEVs had a market share of just 0.47%. Over the past couple of years, plugless traditional hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) had been more popular on the South African market, with very little action on the PHEV side of things, but a shift seems to be starting now, with HEV sales down 6% in 2025. 13,552 HEVs were sold in South Africa in 2024, compared with 12,751 HEVs sold in 2025. BEVs, on the other hand, did not have a great year in South Africa.  Only 1,018 passenger battery electric vehicles were sold in South Africa last year, down 17% from 1,231 in 2024.

With more PHEV models expected to be launched in South Africa in 2026, we expect the decline in market share of HEVs coupled with the increase in share of PHEVs to continue. One of the most exciting PHEVs coming to South Africa in 2026 is the all-new Caravelle plug-in hybrid 4MOTION. This vehicle will arrive in South Africa towards the middle of this year. According to Volkswagen Group Africa, more than seven decades ago, at Volkswagen Group Africa’s production plant in Kariega, a simple, hard-working Volkswagen bus first rolled into local history, laying the foundation for a nameplate that would become woven into South Africa’s cultural and economic fabric. Volkswagen Group Africa says from the iconic T1 through successive generations up to the refined and technologically advanced T6.1, the Volkswagen Bus evolved in step with the country itself, serving families, entrepreneurs, and adventurers alike with unmistakable character and purpose.

Volkswagen adds that this legacy is now reimagined in the new T7 Caravelle PHEV, signalling a bold new chapter defined by comfort, connectivity, and modern mobility. The Caravelle starts as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle model with electric all-wheel drive. One electric drive motor per axle drives the front and rear axles. Both motors thus ensure optimum drive-off performance and traction. The prerequisite for this is that the battery is sufficiently charged. The T7 PHEV comes with a battery pack with a capacity of 19.7 kWh and fast charging. When the battery is fully charged, the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle enables purely electric distances of up to 91 kilometres (57 miles). Volkswagen adds that two power electronics modules (instead of one) are used onboard the new Caravelle eHybrid 4MOTION as a further special feature compared with a plug-in hybrid with pure front-wheel or rear-wheel drive. These are located in the area of the front and rear axles and manage the energy flow between the battery and the electric drive motors there. They convert the direct current (DC) from the battery into the alternating current (AC) required to operate the electric drive motors. 

The front power electronics module also serves as a DC/DC converter to supply the low-voltage vehicle electrical system with 12 V voltage. The other hybrid components also include the charger. The Caravelle can charge with up to 11 kW at AC charging points such as a home charging station. In addition, the Caravelle can be charged at DC rapid charging stations with up to 50 kW. With this DC power, the battery can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in about 26 minutes. The Caravelle PHEV can be driven at speeds of up to 190 km/h (hybrid: up to 130 km/h). The four driving profiles — Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Individual — are optionally available in the hybrid models. For efficiency reasons, the rear electric motor is only coupled when required above a speed of 65 km/h in the Eco and Comfort driving profiles; in the Sport driving profile, it is coupled up to 130 km/h, and also in the Individual profile, depending on the setting. Above 130 km/h, the rear axle always remains deactivated. 

Another cool feature is that the Caravelle PHEV comes with electric stationary air conditioning as standard. As a plug-in, it can be used to cool, ventilate, and heat the Caravelle when charging, parking or camping. When parking or camping at low outside temperatures, the stationary air conditioning becomes an auxiliary heater. However, unlike with conventional auxiliary heaters, this is not done by fuel combustion. So, if you charge your PHEV with solar or other cleaner and renewable sources, you will be doing so using emission-free electricity. For most daily commutes, most users will rely on the electric range, which is cool.