Volkswagen MEB+ platform brings affordable EVs to Europe
Volkswagen MEB+: a pragmatic reset for affordable European EVs
Volkswagen MEB+ platform brings affordable EVs to Europe
Volkswagen’s MEB+ reworks FWD, batteries and casting to deliver affordable EVs under €25,000, offering LFP or NCM packs and the new APP290 motor for Europe.
2025-10-19T17:03:00+03:00
2025-10-19T17:03:00+03:00
2025-10-19T17:03:00+03:00
Volkswagen is entering a new phase of its electric strategy. After the ID family’s uneven sales on the MEB platform, the group has unveiled a thorough evolution—the MEB+ architecture—set to underpin affordable urban models. As a whole, it reads as a pragmatic reset. The project is, in many ways, “Spanish”: development is overseen by SEAT/CUPRA, and the first cars—VW ID.Polo and CUPRA Raval—will be built in Martorell. They will be followed by Skoda Epiq and ID.Cross from Pamplona. LFP battery production will be located in Valencia, with NCM cells coming from Salzgitter.MEB+ is designed to make electric mobility more attainable in Europe: entry versions are slated to cost under €25,000, and future A‑segment models from €20,000. To reach those targets, the platform has been reworked for front‑wheel drive, the rear suspension simplified, and the use of gigacasting expanded to reduce the number of parts—a clear signal that affordability takes precedence over complexity.Another key shift is the battery strategy: new packs with CTB integration and a unified cell format enable a choice between pricier NCM chemistry (up to 450 km) and more accessible LFP (around 300 km). The lineup will be led by the new APP290 motor, and a GTI variant will crown the top specification. The mix‑and‑match approach neatly fits the brief of building EVs for the mainstream.MEB+ will serve as an interim stage before the SSP platform, expected closer to 2030. Even now, this architecture is intended to make a Volkswagen EV a mass‑market purchase rather than a niche product—the direction feels timely.
Volkswagen’s MEB+ reworks FWD, batteries and casting to deliver affordable EVs under €25,000, offering LFP or NCM packs and the new APP290 motor for Europe.
Michael Powers, Editor
Volkswagen is entering a new phase of its electric strategy. After the ID family’s uneven sales on the MEB platform, the group has unveiled a thorough evolution—the MEB+ architecture—set to underpin affordable urban models. As a whole, it reads as a pragmatic reset. The project is, in many ways, “Spanish”: development is overseen by SEAT/CUPRA, and the first cars—VW ID.Polo and CUPRA Raval—will be built in Martorell. They will be followed by Skoda Epiq and ID.Cross from Pamplona. LFP battery production will be located in Valencia, with NCM cells coming from Salzgitter.
MEB+ is designed to make electric mobility more attainable in Europe: entry versions are slated to cost under €25,000, and future A‑segment models from €20,000. To reach those targets, the platform has been reworked for front‑wheel drive, the rear suspension simplified, and the use of gigacasting expanded to reduce the number of parts—a clear signal that affordability takes precedence over complexity.
Another key shift is the battery strategy: new packs with CTB integration and a unified cell format enable a choice between pricier NCM chemistry (up to 450 km) and more accessible LFP (around 300 km). The lineup will be led by the new APP290 motor, and a GTI variant will crown the top specification. The mix‑and‑match approach neatly fits the brief of building EVs for the mainstream.
MEB+ will serve as an interim stage before the SSP platform, expected closer to 2030. Even now, this architecture is intended to make a Volkswagen EV a mass‑market purchase rather than a niche product—the direction feels timely.
