Volkswagen Group MEB platform explained

The Volkswagen Group MEB platform (German: link=no|Modularer E-Antriebs Baukasten, 'modular electric-drive toolkit')[1] [2] is a modular car platform for electric cars developed by the Volkswagen Group and its subsidiaries.[3] It is used in models of Audi, Cupra, Škoda, and Volkswagen, along with Ford through partnership. The architecture is aimed to "consolidate electronic controls and reduce the number of microprocessors, advance the application of new driver-assistance technology and somewhat alter the way cars are built"[4] by the VW Group.

Plans

The MEB platform is part of a Volkswagen strategy to start production of new battery electric vehicles between 2019 and 2025.[4] In 2017, the VW Group announced a gradual transition from combustion engine to battery electric vehicles with all 300 models across 12 brands having an electric version by 2030.[5]

As of May 2018, the VW Group had committed in electric-vehicle batteries supplies[6] and announced plans to outfit 16 factories to build electric cars by the end of 2022.[7] The Volkswagen-branded production cars started to be assembled in VW's Zwickau plant in Germany for the European market at the end of 2019, while two plants in North America and China started production in 2020 and Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2022.[8] The Škoda-branded SUV Enyaq is produced in the Škoda plant in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic, along with electric motors[9] and electric car batteries.[10]

, two types of the MEB platform were slated to be developed: one for passenger vehicles and one for utility automobiles that accommodate heavier cargo.[11] VW also stated that the platform would be available for procurement to competitor manufacturers.[12]

Ford Motor Company has a strategic partnership with Volkswagen for the MEB platform to benefit from economies of scale. Ford plans to build MEB cars by 2023.[13]

Applications

Production vehicles

As of 2024, the MEB platform underpins nine core models, with eight of them in active production, resulting in a total of 13 different vehicles.

(Sub-bullets indicate rebadged versions or derivatives of the same vehicle, e.g., coupe or cargo)

Concept vehicles

Sales to other manufacturers

In 2018, VW announced that it is open to sharing the platform with manufacturers outside of the VW Group. In addition to the platform, VW also offered individual components as well as top hat development and contract manufacturing.[34]

Ford

In late 2018, the companies announced talks about the sharing of technology.[35] In 2019, the planned volume was doubled from 600,000 to 1.2 million. Two models are planned to be produced by Ford, the Explorer EV and the Capri EV.[36]

Fisker (cancelled)

In July 2020 Fisker announced that it was in negotiations with VW about using the MEB for the planned Fisker Ocean, that was already unveiled in late 2019.[37] [38] A month later, the negotiations were halted.

In October 2020, it was announced that Magna Steyr will be assembling the vehicle using Magna's own EV technology.[39]

Mahindra

Mahindra announced in late 2022 that they intend to use MEB components for Mahindra's upcoming EV platform named "Inglo".[40] Mahindra planned to launch five vehicles based on the Inglo.[41]

Electric motors

Rear axle

APP 310

The MEB platform is supported by the APP 310 electric motor, which is a permanent magnet brushless motor. Fully developed by Volkswagen, the name "APP" derives from the arrangement of the motor and the gearbox in parallel with the axle, while "310" references its maximum torque of . Maximum torque is achieved at a low engine speed, which means that a 1-speed gearbox is sufficient for the entire rotational speed range. Together with the gearbox, the motor weighs only around .[42]

The motor is produced at component sites in Kassel, Germany and Tianjin, China, while the rotor and stator are produced in Italy by Eurotranciatura S.p.a..

APP 550

The APP 550 was unveiled in April 2023 and delivers, as the naming scheme suggests. It has the same size as the APP 310. According to a press release the efficiency has been increased through an improved inverter.[43]

Optional Front axle

All-wheel drive models are equipped with an auxiliary front axle motor. This motor is a 3-phase AC induction motor. It is only used when needed for acceleration or handling. It is purchased from a Magna subsidiary.[44]

Production numbers

!Model!2019[45] !2020!2021[46] !2022!2023[47] !Total
Volkswagen ID.35064,25973,73883,432142,216363,695
Volkswagen ID.4/5-6,487134,319207,934223,425572,165
Škoda Enyaq iV-93949,81157,21386,732194,695
Audi Q4 e-tron--27,51958,764125,441211,724
Volkswagen ID.6--20,46138,84615,92675,233
Cupra Born--4,80136,15345,74886,702
Audi Q5 e-tron--993,1135,5068,718
Volkswagen ID. Buzz---11,01335,27246,285
Volkswagen ID.7----8,5928,592
Ford Explorer EV-----0
Ford Capri EV-----0+Annual5071,685310,748496,468688,8581,567,809

Global market share

! scope="col"
2019202020212022
MEB production5071,685310,748496,468
Global BEV Sales[48] 1,692,0002,270,8004,805,2807,681,060
market share0.00%3.16%6.47%6.46%

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/de/bilder/detail/youtube-film-der-modulare-e-antriebs-baukasten-26931 Youtube Film: Der Modulare E-Antriebs-Baukasten
  2. Web site: Meet the Volkswagen platform designed to spawn 10 million electric vehicles. 14 November 2020. Newsroom. en-US.
  3. Julian Rendell. Skoda electric vehicle under development. Autocar. Published on 16 March 2016.
  4. Web site: All-Electric MEB Platform to Drive New Firsts at VW. 12 January 2018. WardsAuto.
  5. Christoph Rauwald. VW to Build Electric Versions of All 300 Models by 2030. Bloomberg. 12 September 2017.
  6. http://fortune.com/2018/05/03/vw-tesla-electric-car-batteries/ VW doubles its electric vehicle battery contracts to $48 billion
  7. Darrell Etherington. Volkswagen has locked down $25B in battery supplies for its electric vehicle push TechCrunch. 13 March 2018.
  8. News: Volkswagen Group: Five Plants Already Produce MEB-Based EVs . Kane. Mark . 30 January 2021. insideevs.com. 5 February 2021.
  9. Nick Gibbs. Skoda eyes new target customer for higher-priced EVs. Automotive News Europe. 31 March 2018.
  10. Pavel Svačina. Škoda bude vyrábět baterie pro elektroauta. Pojede na ně i Vision E. (Czech). Mladá fronta DNES. Published on 10 September 2017.
  11. Martin Murphy, Stefan Menzel. Volkswagen plant neue Standorte für Elektroautos (in Germam). Handelsblatt. 5 November 2018.
  12. Jake Holmes. 6 March 2019. Volkswagen will let other companies use its MEB electric-car platform. CNET.
  13. Web site: Berman . Bradley . To go electric in Europe, Ford needs Volkswagen's affordable MEB EV platform . . 19 March 2020.
  14. Web site: Audi Q4 e-tron concept to be made in Zwickau. 7 October 2019. electrive.com.
  15. News: Gitlin . Jonathan M. . Everything we know about Audi's next electric crossover, the Q4 e-tron . 14 April 2021 . Ars Technica . 14 April 2021 . en-us.
  16. News: New 2021 Audi Q4 e-tron revealed with sleek Sportback option . 14 April 2021 . Auto Express . en.
  17. Web site: The Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron concept. Audi MediaCenter.
  18. Web site: New 2022 Cupra Born: 228bhp e-Boost pricing revealed .
  19. Web site: Hyde . Ellis . 2023-04-22 . New 2024 Cupra Tavascan all-electric coupe-SUV unveiled . 2023-06-27 . Auto Express UK.
  20. Nick Gibbs. Skoda eyes new target customer for higher-priced EVs. autonews.com. Published on 31 March 2018.
  21. News: Walker. Steve. 12 February 2020. Skoda Enyaq: new electric SUV gets a name. en. Auto Express. 13 February 2020.
  22. Kable . Greg . Volkswagen ID hatch to stay true to concept, says design boss . Autocar.
  23. Web site: Cole . Craig . 6 November 2019 . Volkswagen ID 3 production has officially started in Germany . 13 November 2019 . Road Show by Cnet.
  24. Web site: Lambert. Fred. 20 August 2020. VW starts ID.4 electric SUV production. 4 September 2020. electrec.
  25. News: 11 September 2017. Volkswagen ID Crozz inches closer to production, still has bad name. CNET. 11 September 2017.
  26. News: Kane . Mark . Watch Volkswagen ID.5 GTX Overview And Test Drive Impressions . 5 August 2021 . InsideEVs . 4 August 2021 . en.
  27. Blanco . Sebastian . 18 April 2021 . VW ID.6, ID.6 Crozz Seven-Seater EV Unveiled, Loaded Up to Compete in China . caranddriver . 18 April 2021.
  28. A Bulli for the all-electric future: World premiere of the new ID. Buzz . 9 March 2022 . Wolfsburg/Hanover . Volkswagen Newsroom . 10 March 2022.
  29. Web site: Cupra Reveals Stylish UrbanRebel: An Urban Electric Car .
  30. Web site: Allan. Lawrence. 9 September 2019. Cupra Tavascan: emotive EV concept shown at Frankfurt. 4 September 2020. Autocar.
  31. Web site: ID. Buggy concept car. Volkswagen Newsroom.
  32. Web site: The Volkswagen ID. Buggy is celebrating its premiere at the Geneva International Motor Show. volkswagenag.com.
  33. Web site: ID. LIFE Concept Previews New Cheap EV From Volkswagen. 6 September 2021. InsideEVs. en.
  34. Web site: Volkswagen Platform Business . 2023-05-24 . vw-platform-business.com . en-US.
  35. Web site: 31 Oct 2018 . Warum eine Fusion von VW und Ford Sinn ergeben würde . https://web.archive.org/web/20230511184550/https://www.nzz.ch/mobilitaet/auto-mobil/warum-eine-fusion-von-vw-und-ford-sinn-ergeben-wuerde-ld.1429254?reduced=true . May 11, 2023 . May 11, 2023.
  36. Web site: Is Ford bringing back the Capri as an electric model? - electrive.com . 2023-05-11 . electrive.com . en-US.
  37. Web site: 2020-07-16 . Fisker to go public & interested in VW's MEB platform - electrive.com . 2023-05-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200716223118/https://www.electrive.com/2020/07/14/fisker-to-go-public-interested-in-vws-meb-platform/ . 16 July 2020 .
  38. Web site: 2019-12-21 . The Fisker Ocean's 'California Mode' Is Less Cool Than It Sounds . 2023-05-11 . Jalopnik . en.
  39. News: 2020-10-15 . Fisker closes deal for supplier Magna to build its SUV, take stake in startup . en . Reuters . 2023-05-11.
  40. Web site: Mahindra to use MEB components - electrive.com . 2023-05-11 . electrive.com . en-US.
  41. Web site: Indian giant Mahindra unveils FIVE bold new electric SUVS - which could come to the UK Move Electric . 2023-05-11 . moveelectric.com.
  42. In brief: More than 200 horses in a sports bag – the electric drive in the Volkswagen ID.3 . 14 November 2019 . Volkswagen Newsroom . Wolfsburg . 10 March 2022.
  43. Web site: VW reveals first details of new MEB drive system APP550 . 12 April 2023 . electrive.com.
  44. Web site: Magna launches production for ID.4 drive system in China . 12 April 2023 . electrive.com.
  45. Web site: Volkswagen Konzern - AR 20 - Volkswagen Passenger Cars . 2023-03-25 . annualreport2020.volkswagenag.com . en.
  46. Web site: Volkswagen Passenger Cars . 2023-03-25 . Volkswagen Group Annual Report 2022 . en-US.
  47. Web site: Volkswagen Passenger Cars . 2024-03-18 . Volkswagen Group Annual Report 2023 . en-US.
  48. Web site: EV-Volumes - The Electric Vehicle World Sales Database . 2023-03-25 . www.ev-volumes.com.

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