This was announced by the head of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Carsten Intra, to the German press agency dpa. The Crafter will be followed by the other van models. Intra did not give any details about the platform itself. According to rumors, it will be an offshoot of the company's future SSP architecture.
Either way, a dedicated electric platform for vans is a first for VW Commercial Vehicles. "We have completely changed our strategy," commented Intra. "From a lot of external production for other brands to our own products." As a result, the company now holds all the strings in its own hands. "What we have now is actually a vision for the next 15 to 20 years."
To put things in perspective, the ID. Buzz is based on the company's MEB modular system, which is technically a passenger car architecture. The E-Crafter, which was available in small numbers until last year, was still an internal combustion engine derivative.
The "Space" project is the result of the Audi order for the Hanover plant, which was canceled in October. This freed up capacity because Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles was supposed to build a new top-of-the-range electric model for its sister company in Ingolstadt from 2026. Instead, production of this vehicle will now begin at the Neckarsulm plant.
The model was part of Audi's earlier Artemis project; in 2021, the production contract was awarded to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Hanover - specifically for three models, one each for Audi, Porsche and Bentley. Production was originally scheduled to start in 2024, but this was not achievable and was postponed several times. Porsche pulled out of the project at the end of 2021 and intends to build its flagship electric car itself in Leipzig. Bentley also only wanted to build the body in Hanover, with final assembly continuing in Crewe, UK. There is currently no news about the future of the Bentley model.
In October, the works council expressed its "disappointment" at the withdrawal of the prestigious Audi project, but was also confident in view of the announced production of the "Space" series. "This decision strengthens our independence within the Group, secures the locations and gives us as a brand room for maneuver to develop our business in the future," said VWN Works Council Chairman Stavros Christidis in a report in the works council newspaper "Mitbestimmen" at the time.
By the way, there is another reason why the SSP and the "Space" platform could be related: the time of market maturity. The SSP is also targeted for 2028 (originally planned for 2026, but delayed due to software development problems). The first passenger car representatives of the SSP will be the second generation Skoda Enyaq and the next generation VW Golf in 2028 or 2029.
Source: wiwo
