Volkswagen Group is busy designing a new architecture for particularly cheap electric vehicles currently envisioned for sale only in China, Reuters reports. The first cars are expected to arrive in 2026 or later priced in the range of U.S. $19,500–23,700.
The new chassis is allegedly named ‘Main Platform’ and represents a modification of the company’s existing MEB platform. It is described as a technologically streamlined, simpler-to-produce version of it that makes active use of locally available parts. Localizing most of the fabrication in China should let the German automaker cut costs considerably across the board.
As Chinese-made EVs continue to explode in popularity, Volkswagen has been struggling to keep up. The company had to discount its ID.3 model (pictured below) to prevent more losses, and later concluded that it was a right decision. Even so, the EV business continues to be a liability for VAG.