Volkswagen Group MEB platform

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The Volkswagen Group MEB platform is a modular electric-drive toolkit built by the VW Group and its brands. It is used by Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, Cupra, and Ford through a partnership. The idea is to standardize electronic controls, reduce the number of microprocessors, and make it easier to add new driver-assistance tech while simplifying how cars are built.

Purpose and plan
The MEB platform is part of VW’s push to start producing battery-electric vehicles between 2019 and 2025. VW aimed to move from combustion engines to electric cars across about 300 models and 12 brands by 2030. The group invested heavily in battery supplies and planned many factories to build EVs.

Where cars are built
Volkswagen’s own EVs began assembling in Zwickau, Germany, for the European market at the end of 2019. In 2020, North America and China started production, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, began in 2022. The Škoda Enyaq is built in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. There are two MEB variants: one for passenger vehicles and one for heavier cargo/utilities. VW has said the platform could be offered to other manufacturers as well.

Ford partnership and future models
Ford has a strategic partnership with VW to use the MEB platform, aiming to gain economies of scale. By 2024, Ford was building MEB-based Explorer models in Cologne, and VW expected new ID models such as the ID Every1 and ID.2 to use MEB Entry in 2025.

How many cars use MEB
As of 2024, the MEB platform underpins nine core models, with eight in active production and a total of 13 different vehicles (including rebadged versions and variations like coupes or cargo versions).

Open sharing and collaborations
VW said the platform could be shared with other manufacturers. VW offered components, top-hat development, and contract manufacturing. In 2019–2020, talks with Fisker about using MEB for the Fisker Ocean occurred but were later halted. Magna Steyr planned to assemble some MEB-based cars, and Mahindra announced in 2022 that it would use MEB components for its new Inglo platform.

The motors
The MEB platform uses the APP family of electric motors. The APP 310 is a permanent-magnet brushless motor that delivers up to 310 Nm of torque and weighs about 90 kg with the gearbox. It is produced in Kassel, Germany, and Tianjin, China, with rotor and stator made in Italy by Eurotranciatura. In 2023, the APP 550 was unveiled, delivering 550 Nm of torque and sharing the same overall size as the 310. Efficiency improvements come from a better inverter. All-wheel-drive models use an extra front-axle motor, a 3-phase induction motor supplied by Magna, only used when needed for acceleration or handling.

Platform family overview
The MEB platform sits alongside other VW platforms, including MQB variants (A0, A0 IN, A1, A2), MSB, MMB, MSS, and the larger PPE family, forming part of VW’s broader range of vehicle architectures.