More space, bigger screens, and Ford power for next VW Transporter
Volkswagen first showed off a heavily camouflaged version of its next-generation Transporter van back in December – but new specs and interior pictures give us our best look at the new van until the wraps officially come off in September.
The latest information about the upcoming VW Transporter include some pretty precise specifications and information about the van’s initial bodystyles. Reports indicate that the Transporter will be available as a panel van in two different body lengths and heights, a “Kombi” passenger van with two rows of seating, and a “dropside” double cab with six seats.
We also know that the standard Transporter will be just a tick over 5 meters long (146 mm longer than its predecessor) and ride on a wheelbase nearly four inches longer than before, at 3,100 mm (122″). Longer wheelbase models grow even further, measuring 5.45 meters from nose to tail. The new Transporter is also five inches wider than its predecessor.
VW says this growth spurt has helped increase space for both passengers and cargo, with the standard Transporter panel van set to offer 5.8 cubic meters of load space. Payload capacity has risen to match that increased dimensional capacity, from 1.2 to 1.33 tons (2900 lbs.), while the maximum towing capacity now stands at 2.8 tonnes (6100 lbs.).
That additional payload and towing capacity comes courtesy of Volkswagen’s 2019 deal with Ford to co-develop EVs for the European market, and it’s expected that the next-generation Transporter will use the same platform as the latest Transit and E-Transit, which itself recently got a battery upgrade.
In addition to sharing the next Transporter’s dimensions and cargo capacities, Volkswagen also released some new images illustrating the van’s increased capacity and highlighting its new, screen-heavy interior. The renderings show a manual-transmission-equipped van (the Transporter, like its Ford Transit cousin, will still be available as ICE and electric) with digital instruments and infotainment displays sure to make navigating European roads easier for VW’s logistics customers. No word yet on whether or not ChatGPT integration will come standard.
2025 Volkswagen Transporter
The entry-level Volkswagen “e” Transporter will sport a 54 kWh battery and produce 114 bhp. Other models will feature a larger, 83 kWh battery with 134 hp, 215 hp, and 282 hp single electric motor options driving the rear wheels. A dual-motor, all-wheel drive version has been hinted at, but remains a rumor for now.
Electrek’s Take
The commercial electric van market is one of the hottest in the business, with new entries and startups seemingly appearing every month. Some experts are predicting a 40% year over year growth to continue through 2030 … which seems like a lot of vans. All of which is to say that, when the new Volkswagen Transporter officially arrives in September, it had better come prepared.
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Paris’ bike-share system, Vélib has long been considered one of the shining success stories of urban micromobility. With a massive fleet of over 20,000 pedal and electric-assist bicycles around Paris, the service has helped millions of residents and tourists get around the City of Light without needing a car or scooter. But lately, a growing problem is threatening to knock the wheels off this urban mobility marvel: theft and joyriding.
According to city officials and the service operator, more than 600 Vélib bikes are now going missing every single week. That’s over 30 bikes a day simply vanishing from the system – some stolen outright, others taken on “joy rides” and never returned.
“At the moment we’re missing 3,000 bikes,” explained Sylvain Raifaud, head of the Agemob company that currently operates the Velib system. That’s nearly 15% of over 20,000 Vélib bikes across Paris.
The sticky-fingered culprits aren’t necessarily professional thieves or organized crime rings. Instead, they’re often regular users who treat the shared bikes like disposable toys.
The city estimates that many people have figured out how to pry the bikes out of the system’s parking docks, unlocking one for a casual cruise and then ditching it somewhere far from a docking station.
Once pried free, the bikes are technically usable for the next 24 hours until their automatic locking feature kicks in. At that point, the bikes are often simply abandoned. Some end up in alleyways. Others get tossed in rivers. A few just disappear completely.
And since the bikes are intended to be parked at their many docking stations around the city, they don’t have GPS chips, further complicating recovery of “liberated” bikes.
The issue started small but has grown into more than an inconvenience – it’s beginning to undermine the entire purpose of the service. With bikes going missing at such a high rate, many Vélib docking stations are left empty, especially during rush hours.
Riders looking for a quick commute or a convenient hop across town are increasingly finding themselves without available bikes, or having to walk long distances to find a functioning one.
That kind of unreliability chips away at user confidence and threatens to drive potential riders back into cars, cabs, or other less sustainable forms of transport at a time when Paris has already made great strides to dramatically reduce car usage in the city.
The losses are financially painful, too. Replacing stolen or vandalized bikes isn’t cheap, and the resources spent on tracking down missing equipment or reinforcing anti-theft measures are stretching thin. Vélib has faced theft and vandalism issues before, especially during its early years, but this latest surge has officials sounding the alarm with renewed urgency.
Officials acknowledge that there’s no easy fix. Paris, like many cities with bike-share systems, walks a fine line between accessibility and accountability. Part of what makes Vélib so successful is its ease of use and widespread availability. But those same features make it vulnerable to misuse – especially when enforcement is limited and the consequences for abuse are minimal.
The timing of the problem is especially unfortunate. In recent years, Paris has seen impressive results in reducing car traffic, expanding bike lanes, and promoting cycling as a key part of its sustainable transport strategy. Vélib is a cornerstone of that plan. But if the system becomes too unreliable, it risks losing the very people it was designed to serve.
Meanwhile, as Parisians increasingly find themselves staring at empty docks, the challenge for the city and Vélib will be to restore confidence in the system without making it harder to use. That means striking the right balance between freedom and responsibility, between open access and protection against abuse.
In a city where cycling is supposed to be the future of mobility, losing thousands of bikes to joyriders and sticky fingers isn’t just frustrating; it’s unsustainable.
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