Volkswagen readying a new EV with a 700 km range, 200 kW fast charging

German automaker Volkswagen has announced that it is working on a new modular electric vehicle platform called MEB+, which will come as an advanced and evolved version of the much-hyped MEB architecture. The automaker claims that the upcoming MEB+ electric vehicle architecture will take the capabilities of the MEB platform to the next level. It also described that the MEB+ would come as the next-generation iteration of the MEB. This new EV architecture is claimed to come promising 700 km range and 200 kW fast charging capabilities.

Volkswagen also said that this platform would ensure improved charging and storage technology along with enhanced digital infrastructure for connectivity. The MEB+ is also claimed to come with a significant leap in autonomous driving technologies. The new EV architecture will use Volkswagen's next generation of battery packs, which will be built using the so-called unit cells or prismatic unified cells. These advanced battery cells will be the key to enhancing the driving range and charging time for the automaker's future electric cars. Currently, the fastest charging supported by the MEB platform is 135 kW. In that case, MEB+ will be a major leap from the existing EV architecture.

The German auto giant believes that the implementation of MEB+ would help it to expand the model lineup significantly. Volkswagen is pledging to launch at least ten new electric cars under its core brand by 2026. These will include an entry-level model as well as some performance and premium cars too. These upcoming electric cars are likely to be underpinned by the MEB+ architecture. However, the automaker has not confirmed that yet or the timeframe of these launches as well.

Speaking about the much-hyped MEB platform, Volkswagen introduced this architecture in 2019 with the launch of the Volkswagen ID.3. This modular platform currently underpins more than 670,000 electric vehicles across the group. These include more than 500,000 Volkswagen EVs alone, while the other models come from brands such as Audi, Skoda, Cupra etc.