A powerful new APP310 e-drive unit has been revealed by Volkswagen in its ID.32, which is yet to be launched in Europe.
The electric drive system transmits power to the driven wheels using a compact gearbox.
The ID.3’s one-speed gearbox is part of the electric drive system for the modular electric drive matrix (MEB) and is manufactured by Volkswagen Group Components at the Kassel plant.
How power is transmitted to the wheels
With combustion engine vehicles, torque increases along with the engine speed and then falls again.
With an electric drive system, however, the maximum torque is available immediately and remains constant over a wide range of speeds.
The use of a multi-speed gearbox to achieve the desired speed or the necessary torque along the speed curve is therefore not necessary.
One gear for every situation
The Volkswagen ID.3 uses a two-stage one-speed gearbox.
When reversing the car, the direction of the electric drive system is simply reversed.
In addition to various other components, power electronics is responsible for this and for the power characteristics of the drive system.
In order to achieve the maximum power of 150 kW, the electric drive unit must rotate at high speeds.
In order to provide a high level of torque, a 10x transmission ratio is used.
To save space, the gearbox has a two-stage design with two smaller cogs instead of one big one.
As a result, the electric drive motor in the ID.3 provides the maximum torque of 310 Nm constantly over a wide range of speeds.
The maximum speed of 160 km/h is reached at a maximum of 16,000 rpm. For the ID.3 which is optimised for maximum range, the use of a single gear for all driving situations is perfectly adequate.
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