WOLFSBURG: Volkswagen has officially confirmed that its components manufacturing and development subsidiary has begun producing the APP 310 drive system in China.
The subsidiary says that this component will be used in the German carmaker's upcoming ID.4 variants produced by the joint venture partners FAW (ID.4 Crozz) and SAIC (ID.4 X).
The ID.4 variants use the company's latest MEB platform (Modularer E-Antriebs-Baukasten) or modular electric-drive matrix in English.
Volkswagen's future MEB models for China will also be available in Germany.
The main factory for electric drives at the subsidiary is in Kassel, Germany and produces the APP 310 motor meant for current and future MEB models in Europe and North America.
Thomas Schmall, CEO of Volkswagen Group Components said that the APP 310 production commencement in Tianjin, China allows the brand to accelerate electric mobility movement no only in the regional market but also for the Group as a whole.
"Our presence in the key markets enables us to react flexibly and efficiently to the needs of our customers. In this way, Volkswagen Group Components is making a major contribution to the Group’s electrification campaign.”
Automatic gearboxes have been produced at the Tianjin component plant since 2012.
Following the ramp-up of the DQ400e hybrid engine and the APP 290 electric drive, the APP 310 represents the next milestone in the transformation to electric mobility.
The permanent magnet synchronous machine with the drive and gearbox parallel to the axles has an output of up to 204PS with a maximum torque of 310Nm.
Both component plants at Kassel and Tianjin are working closely together on the industrialisation process for the new product.
At present, the technical capacity installed at both sites corresponds to up to 880,000 electric drives per year.
Production is to be expanded by up to 1.4mil electric drives as early as 2023 and in doing so would make Volkswagen Group Components one of the largest producers of electric drives in the world.
