The German automotive giant Volkswagen will shorten the time allotted for the development of new models – until now, designers, engineers and all other specialists involved in the process were given 54 months, or four and a half years, to do what they had to do. Now, Volkswagen hopes to develop new models in 36 months, or three years. This is what VW’s technical director Kajs Grunitz said, stating that this is how Volkswagen hopes to better compete with the Chinese.
He explains that the upcoming Volkswagen ID.2 model is the first to be created with this new philosophy – the first sketches of the car were drawn in December, but in 2025 this model should already be on the streets. “We see from our Chinese competitors that it can be done and we have concrete ideas on how to do it,” says Grunitz.
He explained that to achieve these rates of model development, VW will need to develop new simulation tools as well as ways to evaluate the development process. This could mean that Volkswagen could reduce the amount of on-road tests carried out by examining simulator data. Also, the time allotted for winter tests could decrease, which is currently two, sometimes even three years. Theoretically, it can be done in one winter.
Grunitz admits that such an approach carries with it risks and there are clear guidelines on where to go, while Chinese competitors deal with problems when they appear. He praises Chinese manufacturer BYD for being able to produce quality products in a short time, offering a competitive powertrain, electric platform and also relatively affordable prices.
Also, in the process of developing Volkswagen models, it will try more to involve its suppliers and use their ideas, instead of trying to develop everything on its own.
The specialist also points to an obvious problem, namely how to ensure that the machines are not only developed quickly, but also of high quality. “It’s a big challenge, but let’s not put cars on the streets with thousands of different problems like the Golf 8 or the ID.3, which are well documented. The question is how we can reduce the number of test cycles but maintain the quality,” explains a VW official.
2023-09-07 06:30:00
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