Tag Archives: Volkswagen

News

Volkswagen Begins European Production of Unified EV Battery Cells in Salzgitter

Volkswagen Group’s push to control more of its electric future has taken a tangible step forward. PowerCo, the battery company created within the Group, has officially put its Salzgitter gigafactory into operation, producing the first unified battery cells proudly labeled “Made in Europe.” For an industry still heavily dependent on Asian supply chains, this is more than a symbolic milestone—it’s a strategic statement.

PowerCo’s approach is clear and ambitious: design, develop, and manufacture battery cells entirely in Europe. By doing so, Volkswagen aims to strengthen technological sovereignty while reducing exposure to geopolitical and supply-chain risks that have become painfully visible over the last few years. The first cells rolling out of Salzgitter are now headed to Volkswagen Group brands for final road testing, with their market debut scheduled for next year in electric models from Volkswagen, Škoda, and Seat/Cupra.

At the heart of this strategy is standardization. PowerCo’s “unified cell” concept is designed to work across multiple brands, platforms, and global regions. Within the Group, PowerCo is expected to cover around 50 percent of demand for these standardized cells, with the remainder sourced from external suppliers. The payoff is scale: a single cell architecture that can be produced in large volumes, adapted to different chemistries, and deployed worldwide.

That flexibility is one of the unified cell’s strongest cards. The architecture supports multiple battery chemistries, ranging from cost-focused lithium iron phosphate (LFP) to higher-performance nickel manganese cobalt (NMC), and eventually solid-state technology. This allows Volkswagen to tailor batteries to different vehicle segments and markets without reinventing the wheel each time.

The first production-ready unified cell is based on NMC chemistry and targets the mass market—without sacrificing performance. Compared to previous generations, it delivers around 10 percent higher energy density, a meaningful gain in an era where every kilometer of range counts. Crucially, the cell has been developed in parallel with Volkswagen’s new “cell-to-block” battery system. This tighter integration improves packaging efficiency, reduces weight, and translates into tangible benefits in range, efficiency, and overall performance.

Salzgitter isn’t just another factory; it’s the blueprint. Initial capacity is set at up to 20 GWh annually, enough to supply batteries for approximately 250,000 electric vehicles. If demand requires it, the site can be expanded to 40 GWh. More importantly, Salzgitter will serve as the lead plant for future PowerCo gigafactories, including planned sites in Valencia, Spain, and St. Thomas, Canada.

From an automotive perspective, this move signals a shift in how legacy manufacturers approach electrification. Instead of relying almost entirely on suppliers, Volkswagen is vertically integrating one of the most critical components of an EV. Batteries are no longer just parts; they define cost structures, vehicle architecture, and brand competitiveness.

For customers, the implications should be equally significant. Standardized cells promise more predictable pricing, faster development cycles, and quicker rollout of new technologies across multiple models. The arrival of LFP-based unified cells in the future could also open the door to more affordable electric vehicles, while solid-state development keeps the long-term performance race alive.

PowerCo’s Salzgitter launch won’t grab headlines like a new sports car or concept vehicle, but its importance may ultimately outweigh both. In the electric era, batteries are the new engines—and Volkswagen has just started building its own at scale, right in the heart of Europe.

Source: Volkswagen

News

Volkswagen Puts Autonomous Gen.Urban on Public Roads in Wolfsburg

Volkswagen has quietly crossed an important threshold in its autonomous driving research, moving its Gen.Urban prototype out of controlled environments and onto public roads in Wolfsburg, Germany. Unlike most experimental vehicles still relying on a safety driver or conventional controls, the Gen.Urban operates without a steering wheel or pedals, navigating real traffic as a fully autonomous research platform.

The boxy, shuttle-like Gen.Urban is not a preview of a future production model, nor a concept designed to tease showroom ambitions. Instead, Volkswagen is positioning it as a rolling laboratory—one built specifically to observe how autonomous systems behave in genuine urban conditions and, just as importantly, how people react when the act of driving is completely removed from the experience.

Testing is being conducted by Volkswagen Group innovation teams, who are monitoring both vehicle behavior and passenger interaction in everyday scenarios such as intersections, city streets and mixed traffic flows. The goal is data: not simulated inputs or closed-track results, but insights gathered from the unpredictability of real-world traffic.

According to Nikolai Ardey, Head of Group Innovation at Volkswagen, the project is less about technical bravado and more about human factors. “Technology for autonomous driving is advancing rapidly,” Ardey said. “With our Gen.Urban research vehicle, we want to understand exactly how passengers experience autonomous driving.” Trust, comfort and intuitive interaction, he explained, are central to creating a positive user experience in a world where the driver becomes a passenger.

Inside the Gen.Urban, researchers are studying how occupants behave in a vehicle that drives itself entirely. Seating positions, movement patterns, interaction with digital interfaces and overall comfort are all under scrutiny. These observations will help shape future development work across the Volkswagen Group, even if the Gen.Urban itself never evolves into a production vehicle.

Technically, the vehicle has already proven its ability to operate autonomously in controlled settings. The current phase of public-road testing is intended to validate that capability under everyday conditions, ensuring it can independently follow city routes while complying with traffic regulations.

Volkswagen remains cautious about what comes next. No timelines have been announced for commercial deployment, and the company has not confirmed whether the technology tested on Gen.Urban will directly feed into future production models. For now, the Wolfsburg trials represent one strand of a broader research effort, running parallel to the Group’s ongoing work on advanced driver assistance systems and long-term mobility concepts.

In an industry often eager to promise imminent autonomy, Volkswagen’s Gen.Urban program feels deliberately restrained. Rather than showcasing a near-future product, it reflects a more measured approach—one that acknowledges that the success of autonomous driving will depend as much on human trust and comfort as on software and sensors.

Source: Volkswagen

NEW CARS

Volkswagen ID. Cross prototype spotted testing ahead of 2026 launch

Volkswagen’s next push into the affordable electric SUV market is gathering pace, with the first prototype of the new ID. Cross now spotted out on public roads. The sighting comes just months after the concept version broke cover and only days after early driving impressions of the ID. Cross Concept emerged — and crucially, it confirms that VW isn’t straying far from the striking design it previewed.

As its name implies, the ID. Cross will serve as the all-electric counterpart to the long-running T-Cross, positioning itself in the rapidly growing small EV crossover segment. When it arrives, it will go head-to-head with models such as the Renault 4, Ford Puma Gen-E and Citroën e-C3 Aircross.

Familiar disguise, familiar proportions

At first glance, Volkswagen has made only modest attempts to disguise the prototype. The test car appears to borrow the grille and possibly the front bumper from its petrol-powered sibling, a common trick to throw off casual observers. But the disguise does little to mask the truth: the production ID. Cross looks set to remain remarkably faithful to the concept.

That’s no bad thing. The ID. Cross Concept successfully blended the compact proportions of the T-Cross with a tougher, more confident stance inspired by Volkswagen’s Amarok pick-up. The prototype retains that muscular look, complete with flared wheelarches, pronounced shoulders and generous plastic cladding that gives it a rugged edge without tipping into cartoonish SUV excess.

A body-coloured panel on the C-pillar suggests Volkswagen is concealing the same floating roof design seen on the concept. That feature incorporated three distinctive louvres, a subtle nod to the original Type 2 Bus and the modern ID. Buzz, reinforcing VW’s renewed emphasis on heritage-inspired design cues.

EV architecture, real-world benefits

The wheels are pushed right out to the corners of the car — a hallmark of dedicated EV platforms — helping the ID. Cross appear larger than it is while also maximising interior space. Underneath sits Volkswagen’s new MEB+ architecture, which the ID. Cross will share with the upcoming ID. Polo.

This bespoke electric platform allows for a longer wheelbase and shorter overhangs than combustion-engined equivalents, promising improved cabin room despite compact external dimensions. It also places the ID. Cross at the heart of the Volkswagen Group’s wider “Electric Urban Car Family,” which includes the Cupra Raval and Skoda Epiq, all set to be built in Spain from 2026.

Design philosophy: “Pure Positive”

Volkswagen has been clear that the ID. Cross represents a new chapter in its design language. Both the ID. Cross and ID. Polo are shaped around the brand’s new “Pure Positive” philosophy, guided by three core principles: stability, likeability and what VW calls its “secret sauce.”

According to design boss Andreas Mindt, the goal is to ensure every Volkswagen feels unmistakable while drawing confidently on the brand’s deep heritage. That thinking is evident in the upright front end, which features a thick glass-covered panel with an illuminated VW badge and lightbar, flowing into slim, three-dimensional LED headlights.

The flat, subtly sculpted bonnet recalls the Amarok, while colour-matched bumper elements — rather than chunky black plastic — give the car a more premium feel. Volkswagen insists these protruding bumpers remain functional, offering real-world protection against everyday scrapes, with the glowing central element housing key sensors.

Clean lines and familiar references

From the side, the floating roof design stands out, with contrasting A and C-pillars breaking up the body colour. The angled C-pillar itself draws inspiration from several generations of the Golf, while the louvred rear quarter once again links the ID. Cross to VW’s past.

At the rear, the design is a clean evolution of the ID.2all concept, featuring a full-width lightbar with an illuminated badge, square 3D-effect tail-lights and horizontal lighting elements that wrap neatly around the body.

A long-awaited interior rethink

Perhaps the most important changes are found inside. Volkswagen has openly acknowledged criticism of its recent EV interiors, and the ID. Cross is intended to demonstrate that lessons have been learned.

The cabin promises a return to physical controls, with proper buttons and knobs replacing the much-maligned touch-sensitive sliders found in models like the ID.3. The square steering wheel features clearly defined physical buttons, while the dashboard regains dedicated climate toggles — a move many drivers will welcome.

Digital displays remain, but they’ve been simplified. An 11-inch instrument cluster and a 13-inch central touchscreen use calmer, nature-inspired colour schemes and more intuitive menu structures. A rotary controller on the centre console, combined with natural voice control, is designed to reduce driver frustration rather than add to it.

An “oasis of well-being”

Volkswagen describes the ID. Cross Concept’s interior as an “oasis of well-being,” and the design backs that up. Soft beige “Vanilla Chai” surfaces dominate the cabin, paired with bouclé-style fabrics that feel deliberately cosy and premium.

There are even eucalyptus leaves embedded beneath translucent trim in the centre console, along with a fragrance dispenser in the cup-holders. Place your phone face-down on the wireless charging pad and the system activates a “calm status,” reducing on-screen information to the bare essentials.

Compact outside, spacious inside

Despite measuring less than 4.2 metres in length — matching the Renault 4 — Volkswagen claims the ID. Cross offers impressive rear-seat space for five occupants. The boot measures 450 litres, outdoing the Renault by 30 litres, while a 25-litre frunk under the bonnet adds extra practicality.

Performance and positioning

Volkswagen is still keeping some technical details under wraps, including battery capacity, but it has confirmed a range of up to 261 miles and a 208bhp front-mounted electric motor. The emphasis, VW says, is on urban usability, with compact dimensions ideally suited to city driving.

The ID. Cross is expected to debut in production form in summer 2026, with UK prices likely to start around £25,000. It will sit alongside the ID. Polo in Volkswagen’s expanding EV lineup, forming a crucial part of the brand’s promise to deliver genuinely affordable electric cars.

After years of teasers — including an early glimpse back in late 2023, when the car was still known as the ID.2X — the ID. Cross finally feels close. And if the production model lives up to what the prototype suggests, Volkswagen may have a very strong contender on its hands.