Volkswagen is one of the first car manufacturers to develop its own platform for electric cars. This is called the MEB platform (Modular Electric Drive Kit) and is, among other things, the basis for the VW ID.3.
Many models will be added in the coming months, including the VW ID.4 and VW partners such as Seat and Audi will use this MEB platform. But there are many manufacturers who don’t have that.
Some manufacturers are currently developing a corresponding platform, for example Mercedes-Benz, others have already rejected such a platform: BMW is a well-known example. For Volkswagen, however, this platform was the only logical step, because it allows more freedom than before.
MEB platform: New design options
Without a large motor and with a large battery pack in the floor, you can plan and design a car very differently. According to Klaus Bischoff, it would have been the wrong decision to plan the electric cars in “traditional space”.
There is more freedom because the car’s architecture volume and proportions are different. With the internal combustion engine out of the game, you can really move the proportions and bodystyles and you have a lot more flexibility, particularly in terms of interior design.
Klaus Bischoff, executive director of Volkswagen Design
At Volkswagen, the first ID models also made sure that the design was not too radical. It is a path that Volkswagen would now like to take step by step. You just have to be careful not to lose customers who prefer traditional design.
What Klaus Bischoff does not mention here, but certainly also plays a role: A company like Volkswagen can afford to develop such a platform. That costs a lot of money and you can use the platform at VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat. Manufacturers like BMW have a much smaller portfolio.
