Volkswagen has debuted its modular electric drive matrix (MEB) – the architecture that will underpin the group’s electrification strategy in the coming years.
The newly developed technology platform is regarded by VW as one of the OEM’s most important projects in its history – comparable to the transition from the Beetle to the Golf.
The modular platform will offer Volkswagen the kind of economies of scale that will integral to the brand’s plans to sell 150,000 electric cars by 2020.
“We are making optimal use of the possibilities the electric car has to offer and creating massive economies of scale at the same time,” said Volkswagen board member for E-Mobility, Thomas Ulbrich.
“Some 10 million vehicles across the Group will be based on this platform in the first wave alone. The MEB is the economic and technological backbone of the electric car for all.”
Production of the Volkswagen ID, the first series vehicle based on the MEB, will begin at VW’s Zwickau plant at the end of 2019.
“The ID will be a milestone in technological development,” explained Christian Senger, head of the E-Mobility product line. “It will be the first fully connected electric car with full everyday utility that millions of people will be able to afford.”
The MEB will make it possible to install larger batteries, for example, offering increased battery range for the new vehicles.
“The car holds the road really well thanks to the flat battery situated in the floorpan and the space inside is much more generous – we are making substantial headway with the sense of spaciousness,” added Senger.
The platform is not a retrofitted or altered ICE platform – MEB has been designed for electrified vehicles from the outset.
“Our Modular Transverse Toolkit already proved Volkswagen is one of the most successful platform developers in the auto industry,” said Ulbrich.
“Now, we’re transferring this know-how and this strategy to the electric age. By the end of 2022, four Group brands will be ramping up 27 MEB models worldwide, ranging from compact cars to the lifestyle Bulli. That is something quite unique.”
