Volkswagen Group is in talks with other carmakers about sharing its technology that forms the basis for future electric car models of the Porsche and Audi brands. Ulrich Widmann, head of development at Audi, says other parties are interested in the technology.
"We are having talks. Sharing technology creates economies of scale needed to ensure a tilt in electric vehicles, both economically and environmentally," Widmann said at a press briefing in Munich, Germany, reports news agency Bloomberg.
PPE platform
It is not known which manufacturers Volkswagen is holding talks with; Widmann would not name any parties. The talks revolve around Premium Platform Electric (PPE), which is being developed by Porsche and Audi. The PPE platform will form the basis for electric models that the brands will launch from 2021.
Michael Dean, analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, argues that small carmakers in particular will be interested in the technology. "Given the huge research and development investment required to transition to battery-powered electric vehicles, small luxury brands such as Aston Martin, McLaren and Maserati may be interested," Dean said. "However, you can't rule out BMW and Mercedes either, both of which want to deliver a German premium solution."
Modular Electric Drive Toolkit
Volkswagen has been making a large-scale push to electrify its car models for some time. In March, for instance, the company announced plans to launch some 70 new electric vehicles over the next 10 years. The models will be based on the Modular Electric Drive Toolkit (MEB), an architecture that provides a uniform basis for electric vehicles from Volkswagen. Previously, Volkswagen showed the ID.BUZZ electric van, the ID.CROZZ electric crossover and the ID.VIZZION electric sedan, among others. The company then announced its intention to share the MEB platform with partners.
The talks now being held by Volkswagen relate to the PPE platform. This platform is aimed at sporty electric vehicles, which will be marketed under the Audi and Porsche brands, among others. Interestingly, Volkswagen Group indicated back in March at its annual general meeting of shareholders that it would make the PPE platform available exclusively for models within its own group. So now it appears the company is willing to share the platform after all.
Concept car
A new concept car from Audi was also presented during the press briefing. Details about the vehicle are not known, but presumably the model is to compete with Tesla's Model 3. The vehicle could appear on the market from 2021, Volkswagen Group reports, according to designer Marc Lichte.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
