Volkswagen Unveils New-Gen Electric Drivetrain For ID. Family With Better Performance & Efficiency

Volkswagen has unveiled the next-generation electric drivetrain for its ‘ID.’ EV family. Christened APP550, the new electric powertrain will drive the rear wheels of ID. cars. The APP550 is said to offer better performance as well as improved efficiency, meaning the range of the ID. cars on a single charge will be enhanced compared to its predecessors, while having additional power. The APP550 is tailor-made for Volkswagen’s MEB (Modular Electric Drive) platform & will be rolled out towards the end of the year, generating a peak 210 kW (about 282 bhp) and 550 Nm of torque.

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The drive system with gearbox, rotor and stator will be produced at the Volkswagen Group Components plant in Kassel.

Launching the APP550 drivetrain, Karsten Bennewitz, Head of Powertrain and Energy Systems in Development said “Because the available space has not changed, we were compelled to develop a new drive that achieves significant improvements in performance and efficiency in spite of being subject to the same constraints. The result shows that we were able to reduce the use of raw materials, while at the same time achieving a considerable increase in vehicle efficiency.” 

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Alexander Krick, Head of Technical Development E-Drive, Power Electronics & Transmission at Group Components added, “We have been developing electric drive motors and their gearboxes for 15 years now, and have also been producing them [in Kassel] at our location for over 10 years.” “Drawing on our many years of experience, we optimised the overall system through, among other things, the use of special electrical sheets and customised machining processes, and were thus able to significantly increase efficiency.”

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The all-new powertrain is packed with innovative tech which helps it stay efficient while delivering the additional power. The motor can develop up to 210 kW (282 bhp) & 550 Nm torque depending on the vehicle’s gear ratio. The significantly higher torque ensures better power deployment at any speed and no speed, which is generated with the use of an enhanced stator with a higher effective number of windings and a larger wire cross-section. The rotor is also equipped with a more powerful permanent magnet that has a higher load capacity.

To aid better deployment of power, Volkswagen also added an inverter to the drivetrain to supply high phase currents needed. The drive motor can therefore operate more efficiently, depending on the load phase. To increase the efficiency of the electric drive, Volkswagen also optimised its thermal management system, amongst other things. The APP550 has a new energy-saving cooling system that operates without an electrically driven oil pump. The heated oil is cooled by the vehicle’s coolant circuit, which keeps the drive at operating temperature. The drive system with gearbox, rotor and stator will be produced at the Volkswagen Group Components plant in Kassel.