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As automakers look to increase the efficiency of EVs, Volkswagen believes that developing more components will pay off handsomely. VW announced this change in strategy at its Tech Day 2023 event, claiming up to a 20% increase in efficiency by developing its own optimized components.
“The Volkswagen Group and its brands stand for first-class products and technology,” said VW Group CEO Oliver Blume in a statement. “Thanks to the size and breadth of the group, as well as our in-house expertise, we are able to take advantage of economies of scale.”
The future Volkswagen thermal management unit was developed in-house
VW has typically relied on a few major suppliers—mainly Bosch—for key powertrain components. But as Tesla has shown with his vehicles, there may be some benefit from all the engineering that is done in-house. VW seems ready to try that approach.
Engineers have designed the new pulse inverter and its control software from the ground up, according to a VW press release. The in-house design uses the same modular philosophy as the MEB platform developed for VW’s mass-market EVs, and thus with everything from entry-level vehicles to sports cars with an output of 500 kW (670 hp), the automaker claims. Currently being refined for series production use in the next MEB iteration.
Future (left) and current Volkswagen thermal management hardware
Another area targeted for internal optimization is thermal management. In place of today’s tangled individual modules and hoses, the goal was to have an “all-in-one” that could handle temperature control for the battery pack and cab. The new module is “significantly lighter, more powerful and more efficient” than the current version, and contributes to an increased range and more powerful fast-charging capabilities, VW claims.
It’s unclear when these components will reach production, but VW has teased a mid-decade upgrade to its MEB platform for affordable electric vehicles. And all the while giving MEB vehicles some added range and faster charging.
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