The VW Group produces a number of electric axle drive units for use in their battery-electric vehicles. These drive units integrate a variable-frequency drive, traction motor and reduction gearing as well as an output differential (for most units) into a combined unit.
Since the 1970s there have been several small-scale runs of electric vehicles produced by VW, such as multiple iterations of the Golf CityStromer, however, these used lead-acid batteries and had short ranges. [1] In the 2000s, a research plug-in hybrid vehicle was built using lithium-ion batteries. [2]
In the early 2010s, two series production electric vehicles were introduced: In 2013, the e-up!, [3] and in 2014 the e-Golf. [4] [5]
Since roughly 2019, Volkswagen has introduced a large number of electric vehicles.
Similar to other drivetrain components of the VW Group (for example, their direct-shift gearboxes), the electric axles have descriptive model numbers, which directly encode key specifications of the unit in the model number. [6] [7]
| Model number | Key | Meaning | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st letter | A | Type of unit | Axle drive (Achsantrieb) | Integrated electronics, motor and gearing package |
| 2nd letter | P | Motor arrangement | Parallel arrangement | Motor sits in parallel with the drive shafts |
| K | Coaxial arrangement (koaxial) | One drive shaft passes through the rotor coaxially | ||
| T | Twin axle arrangement | Two fully independent motors; no differential. Enables torque steering. | ||
| 3rd letter | P | Motor type | Permanent magnet motor | Permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor. Typically used as permanently driven rear axle. |
| A | Asynchronous motor | Asynchronous induction motor. Typically used in AWD vehicles for the front axle. | ||
| Number | x | Peak torque | xxx Nm peak motor torque | Rounded |
| x | ||||
| x | ||||
| Model number | Peak torque | Peak power | Power | Models, platforms | Introduction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EAQ210 [8] | 210 Nm | 60 kW | 40 kW | VW e-up!, Škoda Citigo e iV, Seat Mii electric | 2013 | According to another press release, the e-Golf motor is called EEM 85 and the gear box is called EQ 270. [9] |
| EAQ270 [8] | 270/290 Nm | 85/100 kW | 50 kW | VW e-Golf | 2014 | |
| APP290 [10] | ||||||
| APP310 | 310 Nm | 150 kW | 70 kW | VW Group MEB platform | ||
| APP550 | 545 Nm | 210 kW | 89 kW | MEB (GTX, ID.7) | ||
| AKA150 | 134 Nm | 80 kW | MEB | Front-axle drive in AWD models | ||
| APA250 | 247 Nm | 125 kW | Audi e-tron | Modular concept with single electronics package, two different motors (250/320 Nm) and three different gear/differential packages (parallel, coaxial, twin). [7] | ||
| APA320 | 314 Nm | 129 kW | ||||
| AKA320 | 314 Nm | 140 kW | ||||
| ATA250 | 2x 247 Nm | 2x 102 kW |