Photo: Volkswagen Group
Back in November 2017, the Volkswagen Group held a capital markets presentation. One of the slides (pictured), which lays out the plan for Strategy 2025, includes the footnote “based on SPE (dedicated architecture for sport segment).” And indeed, VW’s higher-ups didn’t go into detail about what that means.
The confirmation comes from Automotive News, which cites a senior executive familiar with the plan. According to the unnamed source, “Porsche received the assignment to develop an EV platform for two-door sports cars and supercars.” Surprising it is, but expectable nonetheless.
Virtually every brand in the Volkswagen Group is bracing for an electrified future, and with the know-how of Porsche, there’s no denying the SPE will be a world-class platform. The third purpose-built vehicle platform for electric vehicles, the Porsche SPE could also be used by Audi and Lamborghini.
Automotive News makes a case for a replacement for the R8 e-tron. As for the Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese, can you imagine an electric supercar sitting alongside the V10-powered Huracan and V12-engined Aventador? If you think about it for a second, this is not a matter of if but when.
On the flip side, the cited publication reveals that the “first vehicles are not slated to emerge until after 2025,” which is a heck of a long time when you think about it. Volkswagen Group executives didn’t help either, refusing to answer questions related to the SPE, powertrain details included. At the very least, it’s fair to expect at least a dual-motor setup similar to Tesla's PxxD.
The second biggest question mark sits atop the energy storing system. As more and more automakers invest in solid-state cell technology, could the Volkswagen Group also make the switch to this type of battery?
Last time we heard something on the subject, chairman of the board of management Matthias Muller said that Volkswagen plans to bring solid-state batteries into the mainstream before 2030, with an estimated range of 1,000 kilometers (more than 600 miles) in the most efficient application.
Virtually every brand in the Volkswagen Group is bracing for an electrified future, and with the know-how of Porsche, there’s no denying the SPE will be a world-class platform. The third purpose-built vehicle platform for electric vehicles, the Porsche SPE could also be used by Audi and Lamborghini.
Automotive News makes a case for a replacement for the R8 e-tron. As for the Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese, can you imagine an electric supercar sitting alongside the V10-powered Huracan and V12-engined Aventador? If you think about it for a second, this is not a matter of if but when.
On the flip side, the cited publication reveals that the “first vehicles are not slated to emerge until after 2025,” which is a heck of a long time when you think about it. Volkswagen Group executives didn’t help either, refusing to answer questions related to the SPE, powertrain details included. At the very least, it’s fair to expect at least a dual-motor setup similar to Tesla's PxxD.
The second biggest question mark sits atop the energy storing system. As more and more automakers invest in solid-state cell technology, could the Volkswagen Group also make the switch to this type of battery?
Last time we heard something on the subject, chairman of the board of management Matthias Muller said that Volkswagen plans to bring solid-state batteries into the mainstream before 2030, with an estimated range of 1,000 kilometers (more than 600 miles) in the most efficient application.
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