Volkswagen EVs will use LFP batteries from 2026
All electric Volkswagens will move to an updated platform from next year, ushering in lithium ion phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry that promises to reduce costs. Volkswagen is another major electric car maker to move to LFP battery chemistry.
The first to use this will be the ID 2 supermini, due next year. The reason is that it is cheaper to produce than NMC packs, is almost as energy dense and the batteries can recharge to 100 per cent without undue degradation over time.
After that, the rest of Volkswagen's ID models will utilise this updated platform (MEB Plus), and adopt the LFP chemistry.
This type of battery pack is quickly becoming the one to have because technological developments have increased its range potential while preserving a cost advantage over NMC packs.
Tesla followed BYD in bringing the technology to mass production, with the Model 3 in China. Ford also went down the LFP route with the Mustang Mach-E and now other volume car makers like Volkswagen are embracing this technology. It isn't subject to the thermal runaway afflicting NMC battery technology either.
Volkswagen CEO, Thomas Schäfer, told Autocar UK: 'The upgrade to MEB Plus comes next year, and we will roll out the cell-to-pack battery systems with LFP.
'That will be a major step forward in terms of cost for us. It's very important, and also in performance.
'We will come in with MEB Plus across the models, including ID 3, ID 4, ID 7. They will have LFP.
'In the volume game, LFP is the technology.' The battery factory for Volkswagen Group in Salzgitter, Germany.
The LFP batteries are built at Volkswagen Group's new factory in Salzgitter, Germany. It will continue to make the existing NMC packs until they're phased out.
While no LFP specifications are yet to hand, there is potential for the EVs to gain range while price falls. Well, to gain range at any rate.
This technological overhaul will be accompanied by a design refresh of Volkswagen's ID line-up.
R&D boss Kai Grunitz said last year this redesign will bring 'huge improvements' that show Volkswagen is 'going back to where we came from'.
The new look is key to that. 'Design is your first touchpoint. That's what excites people.'
He added that the question of whether it is electric or petrol doesn't matter with an iconic car.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Autocar
a day ago
- NZ Autocar
New Volkswagens now come with a service plan
Volkswagen New Zealand has announced a new Service Plan offering, available across its range of vehicles. This new plan covers the first three scheduled services of a vehicle and is included within the price of the vehicle. Previously VW offered service plans as a cost option at time of purchase. For buyers of a passenger vehicle, the Service Plan covers the first three years or 45,000km of ownership from the date of delivery, coinciding with 15,000km, 12 month service schedules. Read more 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI review For Amarok buyers, the deal covers the first three scheduled services within three years or 60,000km, whichever occurs first. New Caddy and Multivan petrol or PHEV models have the first three services covered within three years or 45,000km, and all other new Volkswagen Commercial diesel models are covered for the first three scheduled services (within six years or 90,000km). 'This new offer is about giving customers one less thing to think about when they purchase one of our vehicles,' says Chanelle McDonald, General Manager Passenger Vehicles at Volkswagen New Zealand. 'In a world that doesn't slow down we know peace of mind is invaluable, and this is another way we're helping future owners get more out of their Volkswagens – and their time.' The service plan is also transferable if you sell within the three year period.
NZ Autocar
21-05-2025
- NZ Autocar
BYD says its new PHEVs will outperform range extenders
BYD is priming a range of new plug-in hybrids with around 200km of electric-only range. They will also be capable of rapid charging at speeds of more than 150kW. And they're coming within the next 12 to 24 months, badged as DM-i variants. Long range PHEVs are becoming the next big thing in China which seems committed to exporting its popular sellers. To date, not many PHEVs can exceed even 100km of EV range. In the UK, for example, the most range offered by any PHEV is Volkswagen's Golf eHybrid. That manages 141km while the best from BYD is 123km. And that is offered by the Seal U (Sealion 6 here) which can be charged at only 18kW. BYD's executive vice-president, Stella Li, says: 'Our target is really to have people in daily use using the EV [mode], but then if they want long distance, given a chance to charge, they have the freedom to go to anything.' The current DM-i system combines BYD's Blade Battery technology with a petrol engine designed specifically for PHEV use. BYD says it offers particularly high levels of thermal efficiency. The firm also reckons 'PHEV has become the new battleground' for manufacturers. That's 'because everybody is shooting for a revision of the so-called green deal that will open up markets beyond 2035'. And the company states: 'we truly don't see anybody having technology close to the DM-i'. A spokesperson said: 'If you have just 35-45km of range as an EV, you're fundamentally an internal combustion engine with a plug,' he said. 'That's the reason why a lot of manufacturers are now trying to come closer to our plug-in hybrid technology with the range-extender.' Others looking to profit from improved PHEV performance include Ford, Leapmotor, Lotus and Volkswagen. But range-extender (REx) cars are increasingly popular in China. They feature an on-board energy generator in the form of a small petrol combustion engine. Read the NZ Autocar review of BYD's Sealion 6 Premium. Leapmotor's overseas head recently said that REx cars are a 'good interim solution' for Europe and better than PHEVs. That's because the propulsion is always handled by an electric motor. And that means that 'the engine is always operating in the most efficient way'. However, BYD counters, saying that PHEVs are 'definitely superior' than REx cars. That's because 'you can have three different ways of using the car; it's your decision, depending on how much power you need from the engine, [whereas] the REx is always behaving in one way'.
NZ Autocar
17-05-2025
- NZ Autocar
Long-range PHEVs like Volvo XC 70 are trending
Cars such as the new XC70 could be key in countries with less EV infrastructure, according to Volvo boss, Håkan Samuelsson. New Volvo XC70 is an SUV where the former model was a raised estate. The XC70 sits between XC60 and XC90 and uses a new range-extender platform. The new model was previewed last week as a mid-sized PHEV. It has a claimed electric range of almost 200km, far more than any PHEV the brand sells at present. XC70 uses a platform supplied by owner Geely, and is initially for China only. However, Volvo said it is considering a global launch for the medium SUV. In regions where charging options aren't so comprehensive, a long-range hybrid makes sense. Read our review of the Volvo EX30 Twin-Motor Performance here. Most XC70 running will be done with electricity. So it is a long-range plug-in hybrid, Samuelsson says. An electric car with a back-up engine when the battery is flat, which will not happen often. 'It's a pragmatic bridge solution to wait for our customers to really feel comfortable with an all-electric car.' Technical details remain sparse, but Volvo has promised an electric range of up to 200km, more than double what the XC60 PHEV can achieve. XC70 is barely larger than the XC60 and resembles a shrunken XC90. However, it uses different architecture. The Scalable Modular Architecture (SMA) is said to underpin the vehicle with no details available. Volvo XC70 taillights recognisably Volvo in shape. While fellow Geely brands use combustion engines as a generator to top up a traction battery, Volvo's XC70 is a more conventional PHEV. It follows the recent unveiling of Volkswagen's ID Era REx concept at the Shanghai motor show. That like-sized car was engineered in partnership with SAIC to target the growing demand for REx cars in China. It too may go global, with particular relevance in Europe and North America. The XC70 will be key to Volvo which is on a global cost-cutting drive in what it sees as a challenging environment. With 200km of EV range, charging should be a weekly affair. That said, Volvo is committed to becoming a fully electric car company, even if just 20 per cent of its sales in the first quarter of 2025 were electric. Premium plug-in hybrids are seen as ideal for customers not yet ready to switch to a fully electric vehicle. The XC70 name hasn't been heard of since 2016, when it was applied to an off-road version of the V70 estate.
