Finding
Volkswagen's hardware platforms are competitive, but its in-house software failed, so the group is buying its next electrical architecture from Rivian and Xpeng
MEB put the ID. family, Skoda Enyaq, CUPRA Born and Audi Q4 e-tron on one 400 V skateboard with a rear APP-series motor. PPE (Audi and Porsche) and J1 (Taycan) run at 800 V. Software was the weak layer: delays at Cariad pushed the Porsche Macan Electric and Audi Q6 e-tron back by about two years and pushed SSP toward the end of the decade.
Volkswagen responded by going outside. In 2024 it formed Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies, a joint venture worth up to $5.8 billion, to bring Rivian's zonal architecture and software to Group cars from 2027, starting with the small ID.EVERY1. In China it uses the CEA zonal architecture co-developed with Xpeng for Volkswagen-brand cars from 2026, and Audi's China-only AUDI brand uses SAIC's Advanced Digitized Platform. Three electrical architectures now run in parallel inside one group.
The hardware path is incremental until SSP. MEB+ adds LFP cells and higher charging power; MEB Entry is the front-drive branch for ID.Polo, ID.Cross, Skoda Epiq and CUPRA Raval, built in Spain. PowerCo's unified prismatic cell, made in Salzgitter with later plants in Valencia and St. Thomas, Ontario, is meant to serve MEB+ and SSP. See also Volkswagen Group and Volkswagen EVs.
Platforms
Volkswagen Group platform lineup
Representative models only; the full list lives in the EV dataset.
| Platform | Voltage | Battery and drive | E/E and compute | Representative EVs | Plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEB | 400 V | 52-86 kWh NMC; rear APP310/APP550 motor, front ASM on AWD | Domain controllers (ICAS1-3) | VW ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID.Buzz; Skoda Enyaq, Elroq; CUPRA Born, Tavascan; Audi Q4 e-tron | Zwickau, Emden, Hanover, Mlada Boleslav, Chattanooga, Anting, Foshan |
| MEB+ / MEB Entry | 400 V | LFP and NMC; front-drive APP290 on Entry | Domain; Rivian-VW zonal on ID.EVERY1 | VW ID.Polo, ID.Cross, ID.EVERY1; Skoda Epiq; CUPRA Raval | Martorell, Pamplona |
| PPE | 800 V | 100 kWh gross prismatic; 270 kW peak charging | E3 1.2: five domain computers | Audi Q6 e-tron, A6 e-tron; Porsche Macan Electric, Cayenne Electric | Ingolstadt, Neckarsulm, Leipzig, Bratislava |
| J1 | 800 V | 93-105 kWh gross; two-speed rear gearbox | Domain | Porsche Taycan; Audi e-tron GT | Zuffenhausen, Bollinger Hofe |
| CEA (with Xpeng) | 800 V capable | Per model | Zonal, central compute | VW-brand China models from 2026, including ID.UNYX | China (SAIC-VW, FAW-VW, VW Anhui) |
| ADP (SAIC) | 800 V | SAIC IM-derived | Central compute, Momenta ADAS | AUDI E5 Sportback | Shanghai (SAIC Audi) |
| SSP | 800 V (400 V on low-cost cars) | PowerCo unified cell | Rivian-VW zonal, central compute | First Group models around 2028 | TBD |
Timeline
Key platform milestones
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Porsche Taycan (J1) and VW ID.3 (MEB) start production in Zuffenhausen and Zwickau |
| 2022 | ID.4 production starts in Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| 2024 | PPE launches with the Porsche Macan Electric and Audi Q6 e-tron; Rivian joint venture announced |
| 2025 | AUDI E5 Sportback on SAIC's ADP; PowerCo Salzgitter starts cell production |
| 2026 | MEB+ and MEB Entry cars from Spain; CEA zonal models in China |
| 2027 | ID.EVERY1 with Rivian-VW electrical architecture |
| ~2028 | First SSP cars |
Sources
Sources and scope
- Scope
- Volkswagen Group EV Platforms
- Sources
- Volkswagen Group and PowerCo releases; Rivian and VW joint venture (2024); Audi and SAIC; mobiFlip on SSP (May 2025)
- Updated
- October 2026