Volkswagen prepares its affordable electric cars, this is the new battery they will debut and change the game in 2026
Volkswagen, and its brands, are on the way to fully electrifying their model ranges. The Wolfsburg team has shown, for the first time, the platform and battery that will equip the expected CUPRA Raval, Skoda Epiq, Volkswagen ID. Polo, and ID. Cross in 2026, with more than decent performance but not for this quartet....
The mainstream brands of Wolfsburg, and some Premium, are about to make a significant leap in their respective histories. It will be in 2026, and with a difference of a few months, when their expected electric cars will start to arrive, the smallest of their ranges and with which they believe they will make real money.
All were presented at the recent Munich Motor Show, more or less close to mass production, alerting customers who are already thinking about city electric cars. Customers will have a hard time deciding between the innovative ID. Cross, the sporty CUPRA Raval, or the Skoda Epiq, which has the most potential to become a commercial success.
Volkswagen will debut its most ambitious battery in 2026
A trio in which the role of a car, and not a crossover, is also played, the new electric Polo that has a sporty version, the first in the history of Wolfsburg with the GTi badge. But the interesting thing about these new electric cars is that Volkswagen has shown what the battery looks like that will be housed between the axles of the "MEB Entry", and that will also reach the future Q2 e-tron, which has begun its development.
We are normally used to seeing batteries that occupy the entire distance between the axles, both longitudinally and transversely, but in these smaller models, as you can see, it is not the case. The battery is located in the center, which helps to balance the center of gravity, but it is not its only novelty.
The big news is that these new electric cars will debut the "unified cell" technology that Volkswagen has been working on for so long. The size of a video tape, the cells adapt to different chemistries, so the more powerful versions will be associated with a lithium-ion battery, while the more basic ones will be with a lithium iron phosphate one. And in the future, also with solid-state ones.
The "short" autonomy of Volkswagen's electric cars
The giant has pointed out that this "unified cell" can be produced on a large scale, and one of the main players in the new battery plant of the group in Sagunto, Valencia. Energy accumulators that have a energy density of 660 Wh per liter, compared to the almost 600 Wh per liter of the current ID batteries.
The 450 kilometers of autonomy are guaranteed, as well as a short charging time up to 80%. These features may be more ideal for the small electric cars of 20,000 euros than for those of 25,000 euros, with subsidies, which are closer to becoming a reality.
