IAA Mobility 2025, held earlier this month in Munich, saw the Volkswagen Group and its subsidiaries PowerCo and Elli announce pioneering technology advances in sustainable mobility for the automotive industry. Along with the world’s first Group test vehicle with solid-state battery provides a glimpse of the battery technology of tomorrow – Vw Group Pushes E-2w Envelope with World-first Solid-state Battery Electric Motorcycle – the VW Group which is the largest seller of EVs in Europe, revealed PowerCo’s Unified Cell, which will be used for the first time in the Electric Urban Car Family of Volkswagen, Skoda and Cupra and is ready for series production.
The Electric Urban Car Family will be launched in CY2026 with four models from the Volkswagen, Cupra, and Skoda brands and a starting price of around 25,000 euros (Rs 22 lakh). The Group is relying on its proven platform strategy. All models use the further developed MEB+ electric platform, yet offer customers very different, brand-specific characters. The Volkswagen Group’s new unified cell is being used in the battery for the first time.
This will leverage further economies of scale and synergies, enabling impressive ranges for small cars of up to 450 kilometres. In addition, the models bring premium technologies from higher segments to the entry-level class. With this vehicle family, the Volkswagen Group is pursuing the goal of achieving a market share of around 20% in the rapidly growing segment of electric small cars in its home market of Europe in the medium term. This corresponds to several hundred thousand vehicles per year.
The battery system and prismatic Unified Cell will enable the Electric Urban Car Family to have a range of up to 450 kilometres and charging times of less than 25 minutes.
Pushing The Battery Tech Envelope
In combination with the new battery system, the Unified Cell will provide a technological leap in terms of performance, cost efficiency and flexibility. The first cells will be produced by the end of the year at the Salzgitter Gigafactory, followed by Valencia (Spain) and St. Thomas (Canada). Precursors such as the cathode material also come from European production. This will make the
Unified Cell a milestone for the European automotive industry, which till now has seen minuscule representation in battery technology so far. Technologically, PowerCo’s Unified Cell is a big leap forward. Energy density of around 660 Wh/l makes it one of the most powerful battery cells in the volume segment.
This corresponds to an increase of around 10 percent compared to previous cells. The battery system has also been completely new developed and now utilizes cell-to-pack technology. According to the VW Group, the battery system and prismatic Unified Cell are perfectly synchronized and enable the Electric Urban Car Family to have a range of up to 450 kilometres and charging times of less than 25 minutes (forecast values).
Gigacasting processes are used for key components, further reducing the weight. At the same time, costs have been significantly reduced compared to previous batteries. Volkswagen is thus setting new benchmarks in terms of range, charging speed and efficiency in the small car segment and making e-mobility affordable for everyone.
The Unified Cell can be equipped with various cell chemistries from LFP and sodium-ion to NMC and solid-state, thus offering maximum flexibility despite standardisation.
The Unified Cell serves as a global technology platform within the Volkswagen Group and will be used in up to 80 percent of electric vehicles across brands and regions. It can be equipped with various cell chemistries from LFP and sodium-ion to NMC and solid-state, thus offering maximum flexibility despite standardization. It is developed and produced by PowerCo as well as by external suppliers.
Frank Blome, CEO of PowerCo, said: “The battery cell is a key technology of the 21st century and plays a crucial role for the future of the European automotive industry. Today, we are taking a big step towards our goal of establishing battery technology in Europe. Technologically, our first series battery cell is absolutely on par with the established competitors. And we are already working on new customer products with LFP or Sodium-Ion chemistry. PowerCo is rapidly developing into a global cell manufacturer and the European battery tech driver.”
Oliver Blume, CEO of Volkswagen AG, commented: “The Volkswagen Group and its brands are pushing ahead with technological progress at full speed. We have taken key technologies of e-mobility – such as battery cells, battery systems and electric drives – into our own hands and can thus develop the best solutions for our customers. At the same time, we are strengthening Europe as an automotive location through regional, resilient and sustainable development and production. Our first Group vehicle with a solid-state battery, the Electric Urban Car Family equipped with our new Unified Cell and the construction of Elli’s first large-scale storage system in Salzgitter are further milestones on our way to becoming a global technology driver in the automotive industry.”