Volkswagen (VW) is said to be considering whether it needs a second architecture to support its electric vehicle (EV) strategy, reports Automotive News Europe (ANE). According to the trade publication, there are some concerns over the flexibility of the new MEB platform and its ability to underpin a long-wheelbase Phaeton model. "We're examining right now whether it can go all the way to a C-segment [between Passat and Phaeton]." Volkmar Tanneberger, head of electronics development for the VW brand, was quoted as saying. "It could be in the end that we have more than one electric-car architecture in the group – that there is a second alongside the MEB." But an unnamed official also told ANE that EVs no longer need be as large as gasoline- or diesel-engined peers. "Remember that by removing the centre tunnel you can increase the roominess of the interior without changing the dimensions of the car," said the official. "So it's possible to build a D-segment luxury car like the Phaeton in a C-segment size."
Significance: VW's move into the EV category got into full swing last year as part of efforts to make amends for the diesel emissions scandal that emerged in the United States. This spurred plans for the MEB, an architecture to be part of the automaker's toolkit to roll out the technology. Although the MEB is intended to underpin a range of body structures and model types, including light commercial vehicles (LCVs), there are concerns it may be unable to handle the required breadth of applications. Indeed, a key EV in the brand's pipeline will be the replacement for the luxury Phaeton model. This fundamental change in strategy could also bring a revolution in luxury EVs without such scale or so many developments in packaging. But a second platform could still be required if demand arises from the likes of Audi or Bentley for EVs at the top end of the market, which may require greater scale for the size of the vehicles.
