Volkswagen APP550: New powertrain for the rear-wheel drive ID-series EVs of the future

Volkswagen's new APP550 drive goes to the same MEB platform as existing ID-series cars, yet is rated to allow some of their successors to go rear-wheel drive. It integrates parts such as the next-gen cars' gearbox, motor housing and stator, and has been designed from the ground up for improved efficiency and stability.

The APP550 also packs Volkswagen's latest powertrain, rated for an output of up to 210 kilowatts (kW, or the equivalent of 286 horsepower) and to deliver torque of up to ~550 newton-meters (Nm). It is linked to an inverter, hyped to act as its "brain" in order to get the most out of its "high-phase current".

The APP550's efficiency may be further enhanced by a new cooling system, which integrates a heat-sink around the stator, some passive cooling "via the gear wheels of the gearbox" and an oil system that lines up with the vehicle's "coolant circuit".

Accordingly, Volkswagen has felt it could leave a dedicated oil pump out of the equation completely, which may prove even more economical when running the APP550. The drive is to be assembled at Volkswagen's Group Components plant in Kassel, Germany, with plans to ship the first EV based on it by the end of 2023.

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