Xpeng and Volkswagen will jointly develop a new E&E (Electrical and Electronic) platform, on which all future electric cars produced by the German company in China will be based.
The contract has already been signed and two project headquarters have been established in the cities of Guangzhou and Hefei. This will allow Volkswagen and Xpeng engineers to work together on new systems. The first electric vehicle on the E&E platform will start production in just 24 months, he says Klix.ba.
12 months ago, VW bought a 4.99 percent stake in Xpeng in a transaction worth $700 million. The investment will expand VW’s presence in the Chinese electric car market and result in the development of at least two electric models of the German brand.
In April, it was announced that the new platform would reduce costs, in part due to 30 percent less need for ECU units. Also, advanced automated driving features will be implemented faster, and support will be provided through over-the-air upgrades.
Two mid-range models will be the first to get the new electric systems, and one of them will be an SUV. The China Main Platform (CMP) is being developed with Volkswagen China Technology Company, SAIC Volkswagen and FAW-Volkswagen, and will be used for more affordable models including at least four smaller VW models.
Source: Klix.ba / Carscoops.com
Photo: Archive Autoblog.rs / Volkswagen
Source: autoblog.rs
