Volkswagen is pretty happy with itself. Its factory in Zwickau uses renewable energy to produce fully electric motors, it reduces emissions in its distribution network, it builds a new EV production line in Tennessee and works with Microsoft to create autonomous driving systems. But it does not rest on its laurels. Here are three stories from today’s news thread all related to the company and its efforts to propel the EV revolution forward.
ID. Buzz timelines
Germany’s magazine Edison reported the ID. Buzz – the all-electric mental successor to the iconic VW Microbus – can use a 100 kWh battery and have a range of up to 500 kilometers (WLTP). The Google translation is particularly bumpy for this story, but here’s the gist:
800 ABB robots were installed at the factory in Hanover to assemble the ID. Buzz and its battery pack, with production starting in February 2022. The first examples are expected to find their way into the hands of Volkswagen dealers in Germany in July next year.
The factory in Hanover is currently building commercial vehicles, especially the T6 and T7 pickups. The ID. Buzz will be put together with the conventional products (the T7 has a built-in hybrid power supply available) so that the production mix can be adjusted as needed to meet the demand. It is based on the MEB platform for electric motors and will be 4.7 meters long. Inside there is seating for 7 passengers – 2 in front, 2 in the middle and 3 at the back. With all the drive components installed under the floor, the carrying capacity must be sufficient.
Visually, the production version is quite true to the concept first introduced in 2017. It is understood that Volkswagen will stick to the ID. Buzz name rather than ID. Bulli, because if you’re marketing, it’s a buzz. The buzz about the ID. Buzz has grown stronger since the concept was first introduced.
A four-wheel drive version with two cars may be offered, but will probably only appear two years after production begins. The cheapest version comes with a 60 kWh battery, a 125 horsepower car and a range of 300 kilometers (WLTP). A panel van will be offered for delivery customers, as well as a long chassis version with greater load capacity.
Prices before incentives are expected to start at € 40,000 and rise to more than € 60,000 for the long-wheel-drive two-engine version with the largest battery. Americans salivate over the ID. Buzz will have to wait a little longer. The decision was made to offer only the long-wheel-drive version in the US, and delivery is not expected to begin before the 2nd quarter of 2023.
The Trinity Project
Thanks to Volkswagen
Volkswagen has always had a bit of an image problem. The name itself means ‘people’s car’, and since the first Beetle, its core business has been producing cars for the masses, yet it wants to compete like Mercedes and BMW in the premium segment. He has Audi and Porsche in the corporate stable, but the desire remains to make the Volkswagen name synonymous with the best that the automotive world has to offer.
In 2002, the company unveiled its Phaeton sedan, a 12-cylinder car designed to bump up Volkswagen’s authority in the luxury car market. In Greek mythology, Phaeton was the son of Helios, the god who drove a chariot with the sun over the sky every day. Over time, the name stood for any vehicle – horse-drawn carriage or gas-powered – that offered lavish transportation. The Volkswagen Phaeton has been quietly canceled after several years of low sales and high maintenance costs.
The company now says it wants to create a fully electric luxury car based on a new platform for scalable systems. According to Autoblog, it’s all part of Volkswagen’s new Accelerate program, which contains four components – electrification, software-defined products, new database business models and autonomous management. “In the coming years, we will change Volkswagen like never before,” CEO Ralf Brandstätter said in a press release.
The car itself is expected to appear in 2025. Few details have been revealed, other than a draft drawing showing a dim roofline. The company claims that it will have long-distance and fast loading capacity equal to the time required to fill the tank of a conventional car. (Maybe this is a hint that the solid state batteries that QuantumScape is working on will be ready for production by that time?) This will start with level 2+ autonomy, but with the level 4 technology hardware. The company says it’s the first time Volkswagen has been part of a “complete network fleet over which vehicles will constantly exchange data” [on] traffic, obstacles or accidents. If you’re reminded of a certain California car business that starts with the letter T, you are not alone.
That last part is perhaps the real news. Autoblog says Trinity is “supposed to lead Volkswagen to the financially promised country by taking the company out of the low margin of manufacturing and into a new business model that yields the software in a rich way,” while Volkswagen to a new, data -based business models ”that generate additional revenue in the use phase. ”
Okay, what in the world are you doing that mean? The company says that future vehicles may have far fewer hardware configurations. Years ago, Detroit realized that it was cheaper to just add air conditioning, car windows, cruise control, and other features to each vehicle. Volkswagen may consider something similar with the Trinity, which allows drivers to choose a four-wheel drive or extra power on a “fee for service” basis. Sharp-eyed readers can immediately think of a recent proposal from Tesla to offer its full self-driving technology on a subscription basis.
VW says: “The cars will … have almost everything on board and customers can activate desired functions ‘on demand’ via the digital ecosystem in the car at any time.” Autoblog speculating drivers can choose the GTI level power, electronic damper tuning or more sporty steering response by simply touching the appropriate buttons on the touch screen of their car. Customers who want a cheaper car can simply choose a package that excludes certain performance or convenience options.
Ralf Brandstätter says: ‘In the future, the vehicle’s individual configuration will no longer be determined by the hardware at the time of purchase. Instead, customers will be able to add features on demand at any time. To which, Autoblog answer, somewhat tongue in cheek, “Your monthly vehicle consumption cost can exceed your car payment. Indeed a brave new future. ‘
EU support for EV manufacturing in Spain?
Finally, the Spanish government announced last week that it would use the money from the then EU to create a public-private partnership between SEAT and the Spanish utility company Iberdrola with the aim of building the country’s first factory for EV batteries. . SEAT commercial cars are currently being built in Germany and Slovakia, but Volkswagen said last year that they were considering building a small electric car (the ID.1?) In Spain in early 2025 – provided public support for the idea was forthcoming is.
According to Reuters, Herbert Diess, chairman of the Volkswagen Group, was in Spain on Friday and told an audience that included King Felipe and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez that his company wanted a firm commitment from Brussels to manufacture electric cars in Spain. to support. Diess added the potential project would include battery production and receive funding to repair the EU’s pandemic, but stressed that more support was needed.
“We hope for the European Commission’s willingness to make this flagship project of historic importance to Spain and Europe a reality,” Diess said. “The successful transformation of the Spanish car industry will depend on a clear commitment from the European Commission.” Wayne Griffiths, chairman of SEAT, said his company wanted to forge a broad alliance with Iberdrola, the telephone operator Telefonica, and Caixabank, as well as other Spanish companies, to achieve the goal of electric mobility.
Diess’s comments were somewhat cryptic about what Volkswagen expects from the EU to promote EV production in Spain, but if you guess it has something to do with a large amount of change, you probably won’t be too wrong.
The takeaway
No matter how you cut it, Volkswagen is taking the bull by the horns when it comes to making electric cars and inventing new ways to make money from it. The only other company that is nearly as creative in figuring out what the EV revolution is going to look like is Tesla. Volkswagen could not have chosen a better role model.
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