Today, the first customers in Germany collected their fully electric Volkswagen ID.4 vehicles. The cars were handed over simultaneously in the delivery centers at the Transparent Factory in Dresden and the Autostadt in Wolfsburg. Thousands of other customers are due to follow, with the company planning to deliver around 150,000 ID.4 vehicles worldwide this year. By the end of February, 23,500 orders had already been received for this model across Europe – despite the fact that many car dealers were closed and ahead of the actual market launch in Germany.

Volkswagen Board Member for Sales Klaus Zellmer said: “The ID.4 launch has been very successful and the car has been well received by customers. We’ve still got great plans – we aim to deliver around 150,000 vehicles worldwide this year alone. That is about one third of our planned output of 450,000 electric vehicles in 2021. The world car is therefore a key pillar of our accelerated electric offensive.” Speeding up the electric offensive is a core element of Volkswagen’s ACCELERATE strategy.The company plans to launch at least one new fully electric model each year.

First customers are adding to their ID. family

There was something special about today’s handovers to the first customers in Dresden and Wolfsburg. Jacqueline Heyer-Mertens and Mario Heyer from Suhl (Thuringia) and Matthias Hoeper from Oyten (Bremen) already drive the ID.303 and have now purchased the ID.4 as well. “I just love the new ID. family so I had to buy another one straightaway,” said Mario Heyer. Matthias Hoeper explained: “I’m a great fan of electromobility. I’m pleased about the addition to the family and the fact that I’m one of the first people in Germany who gets to drive this car.”

Dealers ready to go – fully trained and with an exemplary hygiene concept

For our dealerships to be able to advise customers in the best possible way, a Europe-wide training roadshow is under way. In Germany alone, more than 10,000 dealership employees are taking part. As well as learning about the vehicle itself, they also receive training in all related areas of electromobility such as We Connect and charging. At the handover of the first vehicle in Dresden, the Head of Volkswagen in Germany, Holger B. Santel, said: “The ID.4 is now being rolled out to our fully prepared dealers. The employees have been trained well. In addition, dealers are operating an individual appointment system with a safe hygiene concept. Customers finally get to touch the ID.4, sit inside it, test drive it and order it.”

Digital leadership

The ID.4 sets new standards in digitalization. For example, it can regularly receive updates and new functions over the air. Volkswagen will be the first volume manufacturer to provide this feature from summer this year. As a result, the vehicle will always be up to date. This functionality is also a key prerequisite for new business models. The top models ID.4 Tech and ID.4 Max additionally feature a world first in digital innovation: The augmented reality head-up display projects its display into the driver’s field of view, shows selected symbols dynamically and fuses them with reality. Digitalization and software integration are further central pillars of Volkswagen’s ACCELERATE strategy.

Net carbon neutral

Like the ID.3, the ID.4 is produced in Zwickau with an entirely carbon-neutral footprint. Delivery at Dresden and Wolfsburg is also net carbon neutral. The Zwickau factory recently started a third shift on the second assembly line for production of the ID. family. The goal is to produce more than 1,400 vehicles each working day during the summer in order to meet the high level of demand for the world car and the ID. family.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

The Volkswagen Group presented its technology roadmap for batteries and charging up to 2030 today on its first Power Day. The goal of the roadmap is to significantly reduce the complexity and cost of the battery in order to make the electric car attractive and viable for as many people as possible. At the same time, the Group is aiming to secure the supply of battery cells beyond 2025. In Europe alone, six gigafactories with a total production capacity of 240 GWh are to be established by the end of the decade. Volkswagen is also vigorously pursuing expansion of the public fast-charging network globally. With this in mind, cooperations have been agreed in Europe with the energy companies BP (Great Britain), Iberdrola (Spain) and Enel (Italy).

“E-mobility has become core business for us. We are now systematically integrating additional stages in the value chain. We secure a long-term pole position in the race for the best battery and best customer experience in the age of zero emission mobility”, says Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Group. Cross-brand responsibility for this technology roadmap will lie with Volkswagen Group Components led by Thomas Schmall, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Group for Technology, and CEO of Volkswagen Group Components.

Volkswagen is targeting a substantial increase in cell production in Europe

The Group is pushing ahead at full speed with the development of production capacities in Europe in order to meet the increasing demand for battery cells. “Together with partners, we want to have a total of six cell factories up and running in Europe by 2030 thus guaranteeing security of supply”, explains Thomas Schmall. The new factories are expected to produce cells with a total energy value of 240 GWh per year by the time they are finally completed. Volkswagen is therefore actively contributing to meet the targets of the European Union’s Green Deal. The first two factories will operate in the Swedish city of Skellefteå and in Salzgitter. In response to increased demand, Volkswagen has decided to refocus the previous plan in relation to cell production and concentrate production of its premium cells in the Swedish gigafactory “Northvolt Ett” in Skellefteå in collaboration with Northvolt. The production of these cells is set to commence in 2023 and will be expanded gradually to an annual capacity of up to 40 GWh. 

The gigafactory currently operated by Volkswagen in Salzgitter will produce the unified cell for the high-volume segment from 2025 and develop innovations in process, design and chemistry. Production capacity of up to 40 GWh per year is also planned for Salzgitter. This refocusing will deliver enhanced economies of scale and reduce the complexity of production. Both gigafactories will be powered with electricity from renewable energy sources. Potential sites and partners are currently being considered for the other factories.

New unified cell will deliver enormous cost savings from 2023

Volkswagen is striving to make significant advances with the battery system including all of its components right through to the cell. “We aim to reduce the cost and complexity of the battery and at the same time increase its range and performance”, says Thomas Schmall, Volkswagen Group Board Member for Technology. “This will finally make e-mobility affordable and the dominant drive technology.” Aside from the planned in-house production, significant cost benefits are expected primarily thanks to the new unified cell. It is set to be launched as of 2023 and will be installed across brands in up to 80 percent of all electric vehicles in the Group in 2030. Further savings will be delivered by optimising the cell type, deploying innovative production methods as well as consistent recycling. Volkswagen is thus aiming to gradually reduce battery costs in the entry-level segment by up to 50 percent and in the volume segment by up to 30 percent. “We will use our economies of scale to the benefit of our customers when it comes to the battery too. On average, we will drive down the cost of battery systems to significantly below €100 per kilowatt hour. This will finally make e-mobility affordable and the dominant drive technology”, says Thomas Schmall.

Integration of the value chain

In addition to the unified cell and the consistent expansion of in-house production, the Group’s new technology roadmap will also focus on integrating more steps along the value chain all the way through to industrial recycling. Together with selected strategic partners, Volkswagen therefore wants to secure the long-term supply of cells for its e-offensive. Advances in storage capacity and fast-charging capability are expected in addition to cost benefits. The new prismatic unified cell also offers the best conditions for the transition to the solid state cell – the next quantum leap in battery technology, which Volkswagen anticipates for the middle of the decade. The Group focuses consistently on strategic partnerships and efficient use of resources both for batteries and for charging. The Group is adhering to its strategic financial targets and continues to aim for a capex ratio of around 6 percent by 2025 and an annual clean net cash flow of more than €10 billion in its core automotive business. 

Expanding the global fast-charging network: Partnerships with BP, Iberdrola and Enel 

Volkswagen’s battery offensive is being accompanied by a large-scale expansion of the fast-charging network. Along with its partners, the company intends to operate about 18,000 public fast-charging points in Europe by 2025. This represents a five-fold expansion of the fast-charging network compared to today and corresponds to about one third of the total demand predicted on the continent for 2025. 

This will be done through a series of strategic partnerships in addition to the joint venture IONITY. Volkswagen wants to establish about 8,000 fast-charging points throughout Europe together with BP. The fast-chargers with a charging capacity of 150 kW will be installed at a total of 4,000 BP and ARAL service stations, with the majority of these in Germany and Great Britain. In cooperation with Iberdrola, Volkswagen will cover main traffic routes in Spain. In Italy, Volkswagen wants to collaborate with Enel to establish the fast-charging network both along motorways and in urban areas. Volkswagen will invest about €400 million in the European programme as a whole by 2025, with further investments being borne by external partners.

Volkswagen is expanding the public fast-charging network in the US and China too. Electrify America is planning around 3,500 fast-charging points in North America by the end of the year. In China, a total of 17,000 fast-charging points are being targeted by Volkswagen by 2025 through the CAMS joint venture. 

Volkswagen is making the electric car part of the energy system

Volkswagen intends to integrate the electric car in private, commercial and public energy systems in the future. This will allow green electricity from the solar energy system to be stored in the vehicle and fed back into the home network if needed. Not only will customers be more independent of the public power grid, they will also save money and reduce CO2emissions. Models based on Volkswagen’s own MEB platform will support this technology from 2022. Volkswagen will also offer a complete package with all modules and digital services – from the bidirectional wall box to energy management. The technology is soon to be used also on a larger scale – for example in residential buildings, businesses or in the general power grid.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

The new Golf R, which has been on the market since the start of the year, outperforms all previous Golf R models, boasting 235 kW / 320 PS and a torque of 420 newton metres. To make sure that the power is brought to the road as effectively as possible, Volkswagen’s engineers have developed a new 4MOTION all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring on the rear axle. It forms the basis for the improved vehicle handling of the Golf R, which is setting the standard in its vehicle class.

The Golf R has traditionally been the most powerful model of the bestselling car. Featuring all-wheel drive and the most exclusive design and equipment, this highly dynamic car always represents the gold standard of technology within its class – the Golf class. And it’s no different this time around: the Golf R is the first Volkswagen to be launched with a new all-wheel drive system: 4MOTION with R-Performance Torque Vectoring. This system, intelligently networked via the vehicle dynamics settings, enables a new dimension of sportiness. 

“Our goal with the Golf R was to make its driving characteristics as neutral as possible. In other words, we want to ensure that the vehicle does not under- or oversteer – it should be as straightforward as possible to control at all times”, explains Jonas Thielebein, the engineer in charge of the Golf R. As a Volkswagen R developer, he takes particular pride in the torque vectoring system. Here, a new rear axle drive distributes the drive power not just between the front and rear axles, but also between the two rear wheels. This makes it possible to significantly increase the agility of the Golf R, particularly when cornering. “The selective wheel torque control allows you to take the car to new limits. Even at high speeds, the vehicle handling remains as neutral as possible”, Thielebein adds.

The R Performance Package

The Golf R can also be ordered with an optional R Performance Package, which increases the top speed to 270 km/h in this case. The R Performance Package also includes a larger, prominent rear spoiler for extra downforce on the rear axle, 19-inch wheels in the Estoril design and two additional driving profiles, “Special” (Nürburgring mode) and “Drift”. The driving profile selection can be rapidly accessed by lightly pressing the R button on the steering wheel.

Two driving profiles for maximum performance

Away from public roads, Drift mode opens up a whole new level of driving dynamics and further exploits the potential of torque vectoring by provoking oversteer instead of neutral vehicle handling: the maximum possible torque in this mode is available on the wheel located on the outside of the bend. The ESC in Drift mode is set to “Sport” as standard, meaning that the Golf R’s control electronics kick in at a very late stage. However, real drifts are also possible: the ESC just needs to be switched to OFF.

More control for drivers

In both modes of the R Performance Package, an accelerator pedal characteristic has been sensitively crafted in order to create an unfiltered sense of performance. This high degree of control is an advantage when it comes to perfect drifts on snow and ice, or on asphalt. In both Special and Drift mode, the gearbox calibration of the 420 Nm drive has been optimised in order to keep the rpm consistently high. In automatic mode, the dual clutch gearbox (DSG) thus switches up as late as possible and down as early as possible, which aids power development.

For the first time since the introduction of the DSG, the gearbox will stay in manual mode in both modes if the driver has selected this. Unintentionally slipping back into automatic mode is now a thing of the past. This is something that pros like Benjamin Leuchter have been waiting for a long time. As a brand ambassador and a test and development driver at Volkswagen, Leuchter has had significant input into the development and fine-tuning of the Golf R. “My verdict is clear: the Golf R is the stand-out model in the product line! With the new all-wheel drive, which distributes the power perfectly across the wheels, and the two new driving modes, the Golf R offers a hugely fun driving experience.”

Photo and video series in the Volkswagen Newsroom

A wide selection of drift shots on snow and ice is available in the download area of the Volkswagen Newsroom. Additionally, the Golf R Winter Challenge can be viewed on the Volkswagen and Volkswagen R channels. In this unique video series, Benjamin Leuchter and Swiss racing driver Jasmin Preisig go head-to-head in the Golf R.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

Volkswagen is giving a first design preview of Project Trinity: The electrically powered sedan is to be built in Wolfsburg from 2026 and will set new standards in terms of range, charging speed and digitization – and will be able to drive highly automated according to Level 4.

The project name Trinity is derived from the Latin “trinitas” and stands for the tri-unity. Accordingly, Trinity stands for three crucial themes: a newly developed electronics platform with state-of-the-art software, the simplification of the supply structure, and fully networked and intelligent production at the main plant in Wolfsburg.

“Trinity is a sort of crystallization point for our ACCELERATE strategy, a lighthouse project, our software dream car,” says Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of the Volkswagen brand.The newly developed vehicle architecture will set standards in terms of range, charging speed (“charging as fast as refueling”) and digitalization.

In addition, Trinity will make autonomous driving in the volume segment possible for many people. By the planned start of series production in 2026, Trinity will already reach Level 2+ and be technically ready for Level 4. “We are using our economies of scale to make autonomous driving available to many people and to build a learning neural network. In this way, we are creating the conditions for the continuous exchange of data from our vehicle fleet – for example, on the traffic situation, on obstacles or on accidents,” says Ralf Brandstätter. Trinity thus gives people time and saves them stress. After a long highway trip, you arrive at your destination relaxed. Because you have been driven by a chauffeur to your vacation or to your home after work. “Trinity therefore becomes a kind of 'time machine' for our customers,” says Ralf Brandstätter.

With the production of the series version, the Wolfsburg plant will become a showcase for state-of-the-art, intelligent and fully networked production processes. “We will completely rethink the way we build cars and introduce revolutionary approaches. Digitalization, automation and lightweight construction play an important role here,” says Ralf Brandstätter.

Future vehicle models such as Trinity will be produced with considerably fewer variants, and the hardware will be largely standardized. The cars will then have virtually everything on board and customers will be able to activate desired functions “on demand” at any time via the digital ecosystem in the car. This will significantly reduce complexity in production.

By developing the automobile into a software-based product, Volkswagen is creating the conditions for new, data-based business models. Entry barriers to individual mobility are to be lowered while at the same time offering even more attractive usage packages. Volkswagen intends to generate additional revenue in the usage phase – for charging and energy services, for software-based functions that customers can book as needed, or for automated driving. “In the future, the individual configuration of the vehicle will no longer be determined by the hardware at the time of purchase. Instead, customers will be able to add functions on demand at any time via the digital ecosystem in the car,” says Ralf Brandstätter.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com