Audi and Porsche, both brands from the Volkswagen Group,
have developed separate platforms for their first volume electric cars.
Audi's
E-Tron and E-Tron
Sportback for example ride on a battery-electric version of the
flexible MLB Evo platform that underpins most of Audi's lineup.
Meanwhile, Porsche uses a dedicated EV platform known as J1
for the Taycan.
The J1 will also underpin Audi's upcoming E-Tron
GT super sedan and possibly other models at the Volkswagen Group.
Given how fast the technology is advancing, it shouldn’t
come as a surprise that Audi and Porsche are already working on next-generation
EV platforms. One of these is known as PPE (Premium Platform Electric), and its
development has been split between the two automakers.
The PPE will have an 800-volt architecture, just like the
J1. The high voltage, in combination with efficient cooling systems, means cars
based on the PPE will be able to charge at rates of up to 350 kilowatts, making
80-percent charges in about 20 minutes possible.
The PPE is designed for vehicles of the size of the Audi A4
and up, and it's suited to both low- and high-riding applications. And because
of superior packaging of EVs, vehicles based on the PPE will have more interior
space compared to internal-combustion vehicles of a similar size. Audi will
also use the Volkswagen-developed MEB platform for compact cars. The MEB
platform made its debut in the VW
ID 3 hatchback and will soon underpin a Q4
E-Tron at Audi.
PPE-based vehicles will come with a single electric motor at
the rear axle as standard. A second electric motor can be added to the front
axle for all-wheel drive. Torque vectoring, air suspension and all-wheel
steering will also be available.
The first vehicle based on the PPE is due in 2021, though
neither Audi nor Porsche is yet to state what form it will take. It's possible
the vehicle is the A5
Sportback-like model teased in 2019 by a mystery concept. Audi design
chief Marc
Lichte also said that year that a model like the E-Tron GT in the A4
segment was being developed, though at the time the model was reported to be
only coming in 2023. Another possibility is the next-generation Porsche Macan,
though it
isn't expected until 2022.
by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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