Volkswagen to introduce first SSP-based EV in 2028

The new development comes directly from Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer. At an event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the VW Golf, he hinted that the company plans to launch its next-gen EVs in 2028. He didn’t disclose the name or any other details regarding the model that will debut the new platform, but former Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess indicated that it would be an SUV.

SSP will be a common replacement for the MQB, MSB, and MLB ICE platforms and the MEB and PPE EV platforms. Volkswagen Group has confirmed that it will be a mechatronics platform with different versions for different vehicle segments. Originally, the company planned to put it into use starting with a highly aerodynamic sedan in 2026. Later, it decided to go for a more volume-focused SUV body style and changed the debut timeline to the end of the decade. Now, Schäfer has finally said what the end of the decade exactly means – 2028.

MEB-based EVs aren’t selling as well as expected, so Volkswagen needs to ensure that there are no further delays in rolling out the SSP-based next-gen EVs. Between January and March, Volkswagen Group’s EV sales in Europe declined by 24%. The company had to repeatedly reduce production at its Emden and Zwickau domestic plants.

Volkswagen Group is also under pressure from investors to deliver good results. Its share price hasn’t grown much in a year, and in October, it even dipped below €100. Any further setbacks in the rollout of SSP, and thus also the more advanced next-gen EVs, could shake the confidence of investors again.

Volkswagen may have changed the body style of its first SSP-based EV, but it still planning that EV under the ‘Trinity’ project. The company has confirmed that this model is going to its Zwickau plant. It has also approved an SSP-based Golf EV, which will be the next generation of the Golf, and it plans to make that car in Wolfsburg, Germany.

handelsblatt.com (in German)