The Volkswagen Group's EV Will All Be Constructed On The Same Platform

Volkswagen unveiled its ten-year product strategy today, and it will rely on income from internal combustion engine automobiles to fund a substantial transition toward electric, autonomous, and other future-oriented vehicles. By 2040, the Volkswagen Group wants the majority of its vehicles to be zero-emission in all key markets, and by 2050, it wants to be climate neutral. It intends to raise profit margins from 7-8 percent to 8-9 percent by 2025 to achieve this.

It plans to use the money to reduce its present collection of five vehicle architectures to two, and then to one. Cars like Volkswagen Golf are built on the MQB platform, whereas  Audi A7 is built on the MLB platform, and Porsche Panamera is developed on the MSB platform. The MEB platform, which will underlie vehicles like the Volkswagen ID.4, and the PPE platform, which will support vehicles like the Audi A6 e-tron, are also available.

It hopes to phase out internal combustion platforms over the next decade and eventually combine its two electric platforms into one called the Scalable Systems Platform (SSP). The platform will eventually serve as the foundation for all Volkswagen Group vehicles and will be made available to other automakers. The first car on it, a follow-up to the Audi A8, will be unveiled in 2026. According to reports, the business will display a concept of the vehicle at the Munich Motor Show in September.

“By introducing the SSP, we are using our platform management expertise and expanding our capabilities to maximize synergies across segments and brands,” stated Audi CEO Markus Duesmann. “Our SSP will greatly reduce complexity in mechatronics in the long run.”

Volkswagen has already built up a software unit named CARIAD to run the new platforms. The unit is primarily concerned with three software platforms. Over-the-air updates to MEB platform cars like the ID.4 will be possible with E3 1.1. For vehicles on the PPE platform, which will underlie electric Porsches and Audis, E3 1.2 does the same.

Finally, E3 2.0 will provide a new universal operating system for vehicles based on the SSP platform that will be used by all Volkswagen Group brands. CARIAD CEO Dirk Hilgenberg stated, "Software plays a crucial role in the evolution from a pure automotive firm to an integrated mobility group. By 2030, software–based on automatic driving–could be a significant source of revenue for our industry.”

VW intends to launch its first self-driving car service in Europe by 2025, followed by the United States. It also plans to offer level 4 automatic driving vehicles to customers, though it isn't sure when that will happen.

Christian Dahlheim, the Volkswagen Group's head of sales, claimed: "Volkswagen Group intends to create a strong competitive edge in the field of mobility solutions." “Depending on the exact scenario in each market, we will be able to offer services directly to our consumers or collaborate with powerful partners.”

VW plans to offer a unified battery cell architecture that it claims will cut costs by half compared to existing costs. By 2030, it plans to produce them in six giant factories across Europe, with a total capacity of 240 GWh. It also intends to recycle the batteries to save money and lessen the company's environmental effect.

The company is establishing charging stations around Europe and aims to collaborate with other businesses to guarantee that drivers have easy access to charging. Meanwhile, Electrify America intends to treble its charging infrastructure in the United States and Canada by 2025. Working with partners in China will also be a priority, as the country, along with Europe and North America, remains one of Volkswagen's most important markets, according to the company.

The CEO Herbert Diess stated: “We set a strategic goal for ourselves to become the global market leader in electric vehicles, and we are well on our way. For us, this means that technology, speed, and scalability will be more important than they are now. Automobiles have a bright future!”