Join day by day information updates from CleanTechnica on e-mail. Or comply with us on Google Information!
Volkswagen Group started speaking about its Scalable Methods Platform — SSP for brief — when Herbert Diess was nonetheless the CEO. It was to be the one platform to rule all of them and would substitute the MEB and PPE platforms for electrical autos, in keeping with Handelsblatt. In Diess’ imaginative and prescient, SSP can be a second technology electrical automotive platform that may serve the wants of just about each electrical automotive manufactured by all the assorted manufacturers inside the Volkswagen Group. It will keep away from the prices related to utilizing a variety of completely different electrical automotive platforms, together with the Premium Efficiency Electrical platform that would be the foundation for the brand new Porsche e-Macan and Audi Q6 e-tron.
The SSP growth course of has not gone easily. Initially, the brand new Volkswagen platform was speculated to be prepared by 2026. Diess wished to construct a brand new manufacturing facility in Wolfsburg to construct SSP based mostly vehicles however that plan ended when the supervisory board put Diess out to pasture and introduced in Oliver Blume to be the ringmaster of Volkswagen Group. Blume rapidly mothballed plans for the brand new manufacturing facility and set about attempting to convey order out of the chaos at Cariad, the corporate’s stand alone software program division. Issues didn’t go properly with that effort and the phrase bought out that the SSP platform can be delayed till 2030 — gloomy information for Volkswagen.
Talking at a latest occasion to have a good time the fiftieth anniversary of the Volkswagen Golf, Thomas Schäfer, the CEO of the Volkswagen model, stated the corporate plans to launch its subsequent technology electrical vehicles on the SSP chassis in 2028. He didn’t disclose the title or some other particulars concerning the mannequin that may debut the brand new platform. Volkswagen Group has confirmed that it is going to be a mechatronics platform with completely different variations for various car segments. Initially, the corporate deliberate to place it into use beginning with a extremely aerodynamic sedan in 2026. Later, it determined to go for a extra volume-focused SUV physique model and altered the debut timeline to the tip of the last decade.
MEB-based EVs aren’t promoting in addition to anticipated, so Volkswagen wants to make sure that there are not any additional delays in rolling out subsequent technology electrical vehicles based mostly on the SSP structure. Handlesblatt says within the first quarter of 2024, Volkswagen Group’s electrical automotive gross sales in Europe declined by 24%. The corporate has needed to repeatedly cut back manufacturing at its Emden and Zwickau home crops due to overcapacity.
Volkswagen Group can also be underneath strain from traders to ship good outcomes. Its share value hasn’t grown a lot in a 12 months. Final October, it even dipped beneath €100, a worrying growth Any additional setbacks within the rollout of the SSP platform and the brand new fashions based mostly on it might shake the boldness of traders once more. The corporate might have modified the physique model of its first SSP based mostly EV, however it’ll nonetheless be a part of the Trinity program initiated by Diess. The corporate has confirmed that the primary SSP based mostly automotive might be assembled at its Zwickau manufacturing facility. It has additionally accredited an SSP-based Golf EV that might be made in Wolfsburg.
The corporate could also be one of many largest automotive producers on this planet however it has definitely discovered the transition to electrical vehicles to be difficult, significantly with regard to adapting to the “automotive as rolling pc” idea pioneered by Tesla. Its fundamental EV expertise appears strong sufficient. It claims to have made main enhancements in batteries and powertrains, however getting the software program proper has been an ongoing nightmare that has delayed essential new electrical fashions from some members of the Volkswagen Group — most notably Porsche and Audi.
At present, inside the firm there are a variety of EV platforms, from a number of variations of the unique MEB, to the PPE platform and the J1 platform used for the Porsche Taycan. The important thing to making a living within the automotive enterprise is utilizing as many widespread parts as attainable to drive economies of scale whereas making completed merchandise that don’t all appear to be cookie cutter copies of one another in order that they enchantment to consumers with completely different tastes. If the SSP platform can assist Volkswagen Group stay aggressive in an more and more difficult enterprise surroundings, that’s excellent news for electrical vehicles advocates. If it doesn’t, then even a large company like Volkswagen might be in deep trouble.
Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Need to promote? Need to counsel a visitor for our CleanTech Speak podcast? Contact us right here.
Newest CleanTechnica.TV Movies
CleanTechnica makes use of affiliate hyperlinks. See our coverage right here.
