The Accessor Winter 2025 Web - Flipbook - Page 15
The powertrain has some
interesting systems – the
MHEV 昀椀tted to the 2l TDI and
S6 V6 engines is 48V, with the
alternator and turbocharger
cooled via the main radiator and
the Li-Ion battery – located in the
boot – is cooled via it’s own small
radiator under the main pack at
the front.
Then things get really interesting.
The MHEV electric drive motor
is directly attached to the
driveline. In this way the system
can recover energy during
deceleration, drive under electric
only power or assist the ICE. The
water-glycol cooled Li-Ion battery
is rated at 1.7 kWh.
The drive motor can add up to
18 kW to the powertrain, while
the regenerative braking system
can send to the Li-Ion battery
up to 25 kW.
The European difference
The PPE and PPC represent a huge investment by VWG, developed under the lead of Audi with lessons learnt from MEB as
was as the J1 platform shared between Audi e-tron GT / Parche Taycan. However, it is all about a single entity creating a set of
major building blocks to then turn into multiple models for each brand. Each company (VWG, BMW Group, Mercedes-Benz –
for example) would all make versions of these building blocks which are exactly, precisely different.
This business model has been recognised and ruthlessly copied by Tesla as well as many companies from China. In effect the
BMW 3 series / Audi A4 / Mercedes-Benz C class market has been copied, undercut and very nearly swamped.
The European companies – the vehicle manufacturers and suppliers – would argue they have a global business, and the
differences at component level translate to what consumers can see as well as experience dynamically. In part this still holds,
but the competition has in many cases equalled these values – at road speeds most consumers use – for a substantially lower
price. Sure, at the ultimate limit there are still differences, but such driving is rarely legal.
The case in point is ICE. The China based manufacturers already made multiple types of powertrain – including BYD – so as the
demand switched, they simply 昀氀exed the production volumes. The single corporate strategy – ‘all electric by 2035 2030 2025’
– relied on certainty. That was massively undermined in spite of tax penalties for ICE and mandated BEV sales volumes. Real
customers with real cash chose another way despite Government commands. Hence the temporary reduction of ICE market
share loss across Europe.
The real test for BEV is signi昀椀cantly better battery technology at a much lower cost, as well as the very concerning lack of
power generation strategy. Wind turbines and photovoltaic panels will not work without a completely revised national power
distribution system to cope with sporadic variable generation. It’s not to say BEV is dead – there is a growing market, but it will
be a mixed powertrain market for at least another decade.
The big picture; this work in progress is how to make these building blocks accessible to more vehicle manufacturers, but still
be able to differentiate between models in any given brand. It’s a dif昀椀cult equation, and for the moment, it still not solved.
www.iaea-online.org/news/the-assessor | WINTER 2025 | THE ASSESSORS JOURNAL
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