The frequent world platform technique is nothing new. Carmakers have sought to chop growth and building prices through the use of the identical equipment of components to construct a variety of various fashions for many years. However, with the EV revolution comes the possibility to additional hone growth.
- READ MORE – Automotive IQ Guides: Electric Vehicle platforms
And that’s excellent news too – with battery costs nonetheless representing a major chunk of the automobile value, discovering different methods to trim expense is crucial to maintain EVs inexpensive and interesting to finish customers.
For our newest Top Five, we’ve got been having a look at 5 frequent world electrical automobile platforms from a few of the world’s greatest carmakers. Each presents barely totally different approaches, with differing takes on battery capability necessities, motor provision and degree of commonality, however one factor they do agree on is the numerous up-front value: the 5 profiled right here characterize an funding of at the least $160bn – sure, billion {dollars}!
#1 – Volkswagen Group MEB
Production areas: Zwickau, Germany (2019); Shanghai, China (2020); Chattanooga, TN, US (2022)
Investment: Over €30bn by 2023
Example fashions: Volkswagen ID3 and ID4; Seat El Born; Audi This autumn e-tron; Skoda Enyaq
Estimated quantity: 15 million autos by 2025
Battery sizes: 52kWh to 77kWh
Range: 205 to 342 miles
Charging capability: 125kW
EMotor: Rear-drive first; twin motor all-wheel drive to observe
VW’s reply to the transition from ICE to EV is its MEB platform. Set to underpin a bunch of fashions from the Group’s manufacturers, MEB is brief for Modularer E-Antriebs-Baukasten, which interprets from German into English as modular electrical drive matrix.
The platform has acquired big funding from the VW Group, with the primary automotive – the VW ID3 – now starting to make its manner from manufacturing and into sellers. In addition to getting used throughout the Group, the platform is up on the market, with Ford signing on for 600,000 to underpin a European-market SUV, as a result of launch in 2023.
#2 – GM Global EV Platform
Production areas: Detroit-Hamtramck, MI, USA (2021); Multiple areas in China
Investment: $20bn by 2025
Example fashions: Cruise Origin; Cadillac Lyriq; GMC Hummer
Estimated quantity: 1 million per 12 months within the US and China by 2025
Battery sizes: 50kWh to 200 kWh
Range: Up to 400 miles
Charging capability: Up to 200kW
EMotor: entrance, actual and all-wheel drive variations attainable
GM simply beat coronavirus to the punch by unveiling its new world EV platform on March 4 at a particular media day, held in its Design Dome in Warren, MI.
Presented by GM CEO Mary Barra, the GM Global EV platform options excessive ranges of configurability in-built, due to the agency’s LG Chem-sourced pouch cell Ultium batteries that permit for extra flexibility of codecs. The cells additionally drive down value, with GM claiming lower than $100/kWh.
Its EVs will use GM-developed motors, function DC quick charging functionality, and Super Cruise ADAS as normal. The first drivable automobile utilizing the platform would be the Cadillac Lyriq SUV, and – like VW – GM has introduced that Honda will design and constructed two EVs utilizing GM’s EV platform.
#3 – Toyota Electric New Generation Architecture e-TNGA
Production areas: Tianjin, China with FAW
Investment: $13bn by 2030
Example fashions: Toyota C-HR; Lexus UX300e
Estimated quantity: 1 million per 12 months by 2025
Battery sizes: Three accessible, 54.3kWh confirmed with as much as 100kWh coming
Range: 186 to 372 miles
Charging capability: 50kW introduced to this point
EMotor: entrance, rear and all-wheel drive variations attainable
Toyota initially deliberate to promote a million zero-emission autos per 12 months by 2030. However, it revised that in 2019 to realize EV and FCEV gross sales volumes of a hundreds of thousands models by 2025, focusing first on the Chinese market and rolling out from there. Key to that is the TNGA structure that rolled out below the newest Prius, and is totally electrified first within the Toyota C-HR, first proven on the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show.
Designed in collaboration with Subaru, the e-TNGA EV Platform is versatile sufficient to accommodate a bunch of various automobile sorts and drive choices. These embrace three totally different wheelbase lengths, three totally different battery sizes and three totally different energy outputs. Toyota has said that it’ll provide an preliminary 10 fashions globally by 2025.
#4 – Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi CMF-EV
Production areas: Flins, France; Smyrna, TN, US; Sunderland, UK; Oppama, Japan
Investment: Over $10bn by 2022
Example fashions: Renault Morphoz idea (above); Nissan Ariya idea
Estimated quantity: 1 million per 12 months by 2022
Battery sizes: 40kWh to 90kWh
Range: 249 miles to 435 miles
Charging capability: TBC
EMotor: entrance and all-wheel drive variations attainable
The Common Module Family platform is already in use below ICE-powered vehicles just like the Nissan Qashqai and Renault Megane. However, the EV model is on the way in which this 12 months. First hinted at by the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show arrival of the Nissan Ariya, an idea constructed on an undisclosed EV platform with a twin-motor drivetrain, the Renault Morphoz idea formally debuted the CMF-EV structure earlier in 2020.
The idea was supposed to debut on the Geneva Motor Show, however bought an internet launch as a substitute because the occasion was cancelled as a result of Covid-19. The Morphoz is a shape-shifting showcase designed to spotlight the pliability of the platform. At least 12 fashions constructed on CMF-EV are on their manner within the subsequent two years.
#5 – Hyundai-Kia E-GMP Global EV Platform
Production areas: Multiple undisclosed
Investment: $87bn by 2025
Example fashions: Hyundai 45 and Prophecy; Kia Imagine
Estimated quantity: Hyundai 560,000 per 12 months by 2025; Kia 500,000 per 12 months by 2026
Battery sizes: 58kWh to 73kWh
Range: 218 to 311 miles
Charging capability: Up to 200kW
EMotor: entrance and all-wheel drive variations attainable
Hyundai-Kia is taking EVs extraordinarily significantly, asserting an enormous $87bn might be spent by 2025 – together with Hyundai’s plan to speculate $52bn in future applied sciences via 2025, whereas Kia will make investments $25bn in electrification and future mobility applied sciences, aiming for eco-friendly autos to comprise 25 per cent of its complete gross sales by 2025.
Right now, the corporations have a joint Eco-Car platform that underpins the Hyundai Ioniq and Next, and the Kia Niro, whereas the Hyundai Kona and Kia Soul Electric use the small-car platform. However, the corporations will transfer to the E-GMP, starting with the Hyundai 45 later this 12 months, whereas the next-generation Ioniq is due in 2021, previewed by the Prophecy idea. A Kia sedan, previewed by the Imagine idea, is due in 2021 too. Unlike some rivals, E-GMP makes use of Porsche Taycan-esque 800V expertise.
In addition to going it alone, Hyundai and Kia are spreading their investments to extend EV information shortly. The corporations have invested an undisclosed quantity in US start-up Canoo as a way to develop a bespoke, versatile EV platform for a variety of smaller vehicles, whereas an additional $110m has been spent partnering with UK-based Arrival for business EVs.
