Audi and Porsche, both brands from the Volkswagen Group, have
developed separate platforms for their first volume electric cars.
Audi’s platform is the C-BEV which is designed for
high-riding vehicles and will appear initially in the e-tron SUV on sale in 2018.
Meanwhile, over at Porsche, engineers have developed the J1
platform for a sedan based on 2015’s Mission E concept. It was recently spied
testing and is expected on sale in 2019.
Given how fast the technology is advancing, it shouldn’t
come as a surprise that Audi and Porsche are already working on their next
electric car platform, this time with development split between the two brands.
The greater collaboration is the result of cost cutting measures at the VW
Group following the diesel scandal.
Speaking recently with Automotive News (subscription
required), Audi R&D boss Peter Mertens revealed that the new platform,
code-named the Premium Platform Electric, or PPE for short, will spawn three
“model families,” two of which will be for Audi.
Mertens hinted that about 60 percent of the models spawned
from the platform would be from Audi and the remainder from Porsche. He also
hinted that the platform could be used for vehicles in core segments such as
those occupied by the Audi A4 and A6.
Interestingly, Mertens also said Audi is looking to reduce
the number of internal combustion engines it currently offers, which again
should come as no surprise. He questioned the need for 10- and 12-cylinder
engines but said V-8s are here to stay for a while still. He also said diesel
will be offered in many markets for a while, too.
Porsche CEO Oliver Blume isn’t so supportive of diesels. In
July, he said Porsche was evaluating
the future of diesel engines and would make a final decision by the
end of the decade.
source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1113147_first-details-on-ppe-electric-car-platform-for-future-audis-and-porsches
by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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