Volkswagen expects to boost its electric vehicle range to up to 700km and increase its charging speeds as part of a suite of enhancements to its modular electric drive – or MEB – platform.
Speaking at the UBS Paris Electric Car Day last week, Volkswagen’s head of sales and marketing for the ID. Family, Dr Silke Bagschik, gave a presentation about the company’s ongoing EV efforts.
Buried within the 30+ slides backing Bagschik’s presentation was a preview of “Enhancements in the MEB platform” which promised range of up to 700km, charging power in excess of 200kW, and all-wheel-drive acceleration of about 5.5-seconds.
There is virtually no other information publicly available regarding these improvements to Volkswagen’s Modular electric drive matrix, or MEB, nor any record of Bagschik’s presentation beyond the slides made available by Volkswagen.
For instance, the slide – above – did not indicate what testing method would be used to determine the 700-kilometres, whether it was WLTP, or the stricter EPA rating used in the United States.
As a guide, Volkswagen has in the past referred to the European WLTP standard when talking about the range of its vehicles – such as the 500km range of the VW ID.4 SUV or the 520km for the ID.5 SUV. However, EPA-estimated range is often demonstrably lower.
That said, an increase to charging power will be a welcome upgrade, as it will allow for easier long-distance travel in Volkswagen EVs, and any increase in acceleration is going to be a fun bonus.
Volkswagen’s Bagschik also gave a preview of the current MEB portfolio of vehicles either already available or on the near horizon, including the much anticipated ID.Buzz and the future ID. Life and Aero B.
However, it is the VW ID. Life which is likely the most exciting new electric vehicle on the horizon, with Volkswagen promising to deliver the vehicle at a price range of around $US24,000, or around $A32,600.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.