Volkswagen Trinity project delayed for two years

Oliver Blume, the new CEO of the Volkswagen Group, has not only decided to postpone the launch of the SSP electric platform for two years (which will allow the commercial life of the current MEB to be extended) but has also decided to redesign the first model that was going to settle on it: the Trinity.

Originally, the Volkswagen Trinity (whose final name could have been Volkswagen ID.4, since the homonymous SUV will be renamed as ID.4 X in the short term) was going to be a sedan of approximately 4.60 meters long with a range of 700 km WLTP, an 800-volt architecture, an advanced level 2+ autonomous driving system (although technically capable of reaching level 4) and a starting price of 35,000 euros.

The Trinity of Herbert Diess, the previous CEO of the Volkswagen Group, had his sights on the Tesla Model 3. However, Oliver Blume and the new head of the Volkswagen brand, Thomas Schäfer, believe that customers would not buy the current one. wedge-shaped design, so it will opt for a crossover format not exempt from certain aerodynamic concessions.

When it hits the European market in 2028, the Volkswagen Trinity will not only debut the SSP platform, a highly flexible foundation that will be used in virtually all of the group’s future electric cars (from affordable utility cars to large SUVs) but will also equip the new upgradable software architecture 2.0 (VW.OS) developed by CARIAD.

The Volkswagen Trinity will debut the SSP platform

The Volkswagen Trinity will be the first model of the company conceived under a new process that will cut development times by 25%, going from the current 54 months to just 40. Much of its hardware will be standardized to simplify production, so customers can only choose the color of the body, the design of the tires, and the drivetrain (power, battery…).

Volkswagen Trinity

Although Volkswagen planned to build a new factory in the vicinity of Wolfsburg (Germany) to implement this new production model, everything indicates that said project would have been canceled, which will result in savings of some 2,000 million euros. Instead, the current Wolfsburg plant could be adapted to accommodate the advanced automobile.

If the improvements contemplated for the new plant are adopted, production times could be significantly reduced (a Volkswagen ID.3 takes three times as long to manufacture as a Tesla Model Y). Among the optimizations proposed, we can find manufacturing techniques such as mega-casting (that is, replacing stamped and welded structures with large castings).

Elenor Kling

A tech lover and generally a car enthusiast who likes to do a lot of research and share knowledge.

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