As early as 2018, the Volkswagen Group became the first vehicle manufacturer to commit to the Paris Agreement – the entire company is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050. One key factor in this process is the electrification of the product range. Volkswagen Passenger Cars already managed to deliver more electric vehicles around the world than ever before last year: In total, it delivered over 212,000 electric cars (+158 percent compared to 2019), around 134,000 of which (+197 percent compared to 2019) were battery electric vehicles.
Electric offensive: Volkswagen is committed to battery electric vehicles
On the journey to carbon neutrality, the product portfolio plays a decisive role. The company is picking up speed, ramping up production figures and covering all segments – “This is how we plan to make Volkswagen the most popular brand for sustainable mobility”, says CEO Ralf Brandstätter. Over the next few years, Volkswagen Passenger Cars will be launching at least one new electric model every year.
Versatile: The modular electric drive matrix (MEB) provides the base for a number of models.
Volkswagen’s electric offensive is in full swing
Rapid growth: In 2020, the Volkswagen brand tripled its sales of electric vehicles as compared to the previous year.
The technical and economic backbone of the electric campaign is the modular electric drive matrix (MEB). Designed especially for the electric drive system, this vehicle architecture offers long ranges, plenty of interior space, and powerful performance. The first MEB-based electric car launched by Volkswagen was the compact ID.3. Analysts from UBS Bank in Switzerland put the vehicle through its paces and came to the conclusion that it is the most impressive solution on the electric vehicle market from an established vehicle manufacturer.
With the ID.4, Volkswagen’s first battery electric SUV, the brand has now launched its second MEB model onto the market. The next battery electric vehicles from Volkswagen are the sporty ID.4 GTX, the ID.5 and the ID.6 X/ID.6 CROZZ – the first MEB vehicle to be developed especially for the Chinese market. With the launch of the ID.BUZZ in 2022, the brand will reveal the electric version of an iconic model. This will be followed by a small electric car for the entry-level segment in 2025.
The battery wins: Electricity beats hydrogen
The battery electric vehicle is the best technology for individual, carbon-neutral mobility. Electric vehicles are ready for mass production and affordable for the majority of customers. In terms of climate change mitigation, the electric vehicle is superior to fuel-cell drive vehicles and combustion engines that run on synthetic fuels (eFuels), a fact that has been documented in studies. One of these studies was presented by three renowned research institutes in 2020 – the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI).
When it comes to evaluating different types of drive system, efficiency is the most decisive factor. In a battery electric vehicle, 70 to 80 percent of the energy used goes to the wheels. This is a different in a hydrogen vehicle, where the efficiency rate is just 25 to 30 percent. And this percentage is even lower for synthetic fuels. In other words: If you want to use green energy efficiently, then battery electric vehicles are the ideal choice.
Energy balance: Battery electric drives are significantly more efficient than hydrogen drives.
Six Group giga-factories for battery cells
One of the most important components in any electric vehicle is the high-voltage battery. This is why Volkswagen has laid out a battery roadmap up to the year 2030. The aim of this plan is to significantly reduce the complexity and costs of batteries in a bid to make electric vehicles attractive and affordable for as many people as possible. One of the keys to achieving this is to produce battery cells within the Group on a large scale.
In Europe alone, Volkswagen Group is aiming to work with strategic partners to build six giga-factories with a total capacity of 240 gigawatt hours by the end of the decade. One of the first of these factories is being built in conjunction with the Swedish firm Northvolt in Skellefteå, where cells for the premium segment are due to be produced from 2023 onwards. From 2025, a further giga-factory in Salzgitter will produce the new prismatic standard cell for high-volume models. This cell is due to be used by up to 80 percent of the Group’s electric vehicles by 2030. Further savings can be made thanks to innovative production methods and consistent recycling. The standard cell also provides the ideal basis for the transition to solid-state batteries, which Volkswagen is expecting to arrive in the middle of the decade. In future, Volkswagen aims to reduce the cost of batteries in the entry-level segment by up to 50% and by up to 30% in the high-volume segment.
The cell is the smallest unit: the battery system in the MEB.
Built around the battery
The fully electric Volkswagen models, the ID.3 and ID.4, reveal their new technical concept at first glance: With their clean, flowing style, their exterior designs are inspired by nature, featuring sophisticated aerodynamics. The architecture of the modular electric drive matrix (MEB) used by both models divides the space for people and technology to improve conditions for the passengers. As a result, the space on offer in the vehicle interior is at the same standard as a vehicle from the next segment up.
Volkswagen will also apply intelligent battery-oriented design to its future platforms. One milestone in the model roadmap is the Trinity Project, which is scheduled to start in 2026. It is designed to be a dynamic, low-lying vehicle measuring over four metres in length. The electrically powered saloon will set new standards in terms of range, charging speed and digitalisation.
Flat and sporty: An initial sketch of the Volkswagen Trinity Project.
