Volkswagen Transporter EV arrives, but PHEV delayed

The 2026 Volkswagen T7 Transporter range has landed in Australia, but buyers wanting a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) will have to wait.

Volkswagen says the new-generation Transporter will see the addition of the PHEV version in 2026 – along with PHEV versions of the Caddy,Multivan, and California.

Meanwhile, the Ford Transit Custom PHEV – the van on which the new Volkswagen Transporter is based – is already on sale in Australia, priced from $67,590 before on-road costs.

It’s not clear whether Volkswagen’s decision to delay the Transporter PHEV was influenced by recent changes to the fringe benefits tax – which no longer rewards PHEV buyers with tax incentives – but for now, it seems electric vehicles (EVs) are the priority for the brand.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal.

Volkswagen now has two electric vans priced and sized similarly to each other: the Volkswagen ID.Buzz Cargo – a commercial variant of the retro-styled ID.Buzz electric people mover – and the electric eTransporter. Less than $4000 separates the two.

However, despite the arguably minor difference in the starting price between the eTransporter and ID.Buzz Cargo – and the four different plug-in hybrid vans on the way – Volkswagen’s acting general manager of corporate communications, Daniel DeGasperi, says the company’s lineup offers a choice of individuality for buyers.

“Part of it is genuinely that Transporter has a loyal following, where they know the size, they know the expectation, they know all the capabilities that they want – and then they can decide whether it’s electric,” Mr DeGasperi told CarExpert.

“So [product] complexity on the one hand, but on the other hand, individualisation is always a big possibility.”

While buyers will have to wait for the plug-in hybrid model in 2026, for now, the all-new Volkswagen T7 Transporter is available from $58,590 before on-road costs for the short-wheelbase turbo-diesel grade – reaching $85,590 before on-road costs for the range-topping eTransporter long-wheelbase.

MORE: Explore the Volkswagen Transporter showroom