Audi has begun producing electric motors for the long-awaited Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture being co-developed with Porsche.
The forthcoming PPE platform has been delayed a number of times now and is set to be first used in the Audi Q6 e-tron and Porsche Macan EV.
The motors for the PPE platform, along with the axles, are being produced at a facility in Györ, Hungary on three new lines. Around 700 employees are involved in production and the company plans to build up to 2000 PPE electric motors per day.
In addition to the PPE electric motors, this plant in Hungary produces the drive system for the MLB Evo-based Q8 e-tron and will soon produce electric motors for electric vehicles (EVs) based on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform.
The German carmaker has proclaimed production of the Q6 e-tron is scheduled to start at its main plant in Ingolstadt, Germany before the end of the year.
As recently reported, Volkswagen Group is reportedly planning to cut 2000 jobs at its troubled Cariad software unit as part of a restructuring plan.
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Audi Q6 e-tron
As a result of these job cuts, the forthcoming 1.2 software architecture – set to be used in the upcoming Audi Q6 e-tron and Porsche Macan EV – will reportedly be delayed by 16 to 18 weeks.
Automobilwoche reported the Q6 e-tron now won’t be revealed until March 2024. It was previously going to be revealed this year, with the company recently detailing its exterior and interior design.
The Porsche Macan EV on the other hand was originally set to be unveiled in 2022, but was subsequently pushed to 2023, and now, 2024.
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Porsche Macan EV
The Audi and Porsche co-developed PPE platform was announced back in 2018 and was designed to lower costs, enable faster charging, and also speed up the roll out of new electric models.
Exact powertrains details for the Audi Q6 e-tron and Porsche Macan EV are yet to be confirmed, but PPE-based vehicles will offer a range of up to 600km, and support both single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive configurations.
The platform will also offer an 800V electrical architecture like the J1 platform used in the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT, and will have DC fast-charging speeds of up to 350kW.
MORE: Volkswagen is cleaning house at its troubled software division
MORE: Audi Q6 e-tron electric SUV ushers in new era of interior design
MORE: The electric Porsche Macan is finally (almost) ready
