A car platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components, over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of cars , often from different, but somewhat related, marques . It is practiced in the automotive industry to reduce the costs associated with the development of products by basing those products on a smaller number of platforms. This further allows companies to create distinct models from a design perspective on similar underpinnings. A car platform is not to be confused with a platform chassis , although such a chassis can be part of an automobile's design platform, as noted below.
42-458: The Volkswagen Group MEB platform (German: Modularer E-Antriebs Baukasten , 'modular electric-drive toolkit') is a modular car platform for electric cars developed by the Volkswagen Group and its subsidiaries. It is used in models of Audi , Cupra , Škoda , and Volkswagen , along with Ford through partnership. The architecture is aimed to "consolidate electronic controls and reduce
84-403: A SUV . The Volkswagen A platform -mates such as the sports-oriented Audi TT and the economy-focused Volkswagen Golf also share much of their mechanical components but are visually entirely different. Both the Volkswagen Group and Toyota have had much success building many well-differentiated vehicles from many marques , from the same platforms. One of the least conspicuous recent examples
126-554: A commutator and brushes , also in 1832. Development quickly included more useful applications such as Moritz Hermann Jacobi 's motor that could lift 10 to 12 pounds with a speed of one foot per second, about 15 watts of mechanical power in 1834. In 1835, Francis Watkins describes an electrical "toy" he created; he is generally regarded as one of the first to understand the interchangeability of motor and generator . Induction (asynchronous) motors, generators and alternators ( synchronous ) have an electromagnetic system consisting of
168-444: A stator and rotor. There are two designs for the rotor in an induction motor: squirrel cage and wound. In generators and alternators, the rotor designs are salient pole or cylindrical . The squirrel-cage rotor consists of laminated steel in the core with evenly spaced bars of copper or aluminum placed axially around the periphery, permanently shorted at the ends by the end rings. This simple and rugged construction makes it
210-406: A 'Y' configuration. The rotor winding terminals are brought out and attached to the three slips rings with brushes, on the shaft of the rotor. Brushes on the slip rings allow for external three-phase resistors to be connected in series to the rotor windings for providing speed control. The external resistances become a part of the rotor circuit to produce a large torque when starting the motor. As
252-566: A 1-speed gearbox is sufficient for the entire rotational speed range. Together with the gearbox, the motor weighs only around 90 kg (200 lb). The motor is produced at component sites in Kassel , Germany and Tianjin , China, while the rotor and stator are produced in Italy by Eurotranciatura S.p.a.. The APP 550 was unveiled in April 2023 and delivers 550 N⋅m (56.1 kg⋅m; 406 lb⋅ft), as
294-472: A greater variety of vehicles from one basic set of engineered components. Pictured below is the Nissan MS platform , where designs including 5-door hatchback, sedan, compact SUV and minivan were built on a common floor panel and many shared functional assemblies such as engine, transmission and chassis components. Many vendors refer to this as product or vehicle architecture . The concept of product architecture
336-681: A lower cost to consumers. Additionally, economies of scale are increased, as is return on investment. Originally, a "platform" was a literally shared chassis from a previously-engineered vehicle, as in the case for the Citroën 2CV platform chassis used by the Citroën Ami and Citroën Dyane , as well as the Volkswagen Beetle frame under the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia . These two manufacturers made different category of vehicles under using
378-453: A platform in cars, from a technical point of view, includes underbody and suspensions (with axles) — where the underbody is made of the front floor, rear floor, engine compartment, and frame (reinforcement of underbody). Key mechanical components that define an automobile platform include: Platform sharing is a product development method where different products and the brand attached share the same components. The purpose with platform sharing
420-557: A strategic partnership with Volkswagen for the MEB platform to benefit from economies of scale . As of mid-2024, Ford is building MEB-based Ford Explorer vehicles in Cologne. As of 2024, the MEB platform underpins nine core models, with eight of them in active production, resulting in a total of 13 different vehicles. (Sub-bullets indicate rebadged versions or derivatives of the same vehicle, e.g., coupe or cargo ) In 2018, VW announced that it
462-491: A strategy affects the development process and also has an important impact on an automaker's organizational structure. A platform strategy also offers advantages for the globalization process of automobile firms. Because automakers spend the majority of time and money on the development of platforms, platform sharing affords manufacturers the ability to cut costs on research and development by spreading it over several product lines. Manufacturers are then able to offer products at
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#1732851922573504-401: Is created around the core, which is referred to as field current. The field current strength controls the power level of the magnetic field. Direct current (DC) drives the field current in one direction, and is delivered to the wire coil by a set of brushes and slip rings. Like any magnet, the magnetic field produced has a north and a south pole. The normal clockwise direction of the motor that
546-600: Is known as the N-J-L platform, arguably the most prolific of GM's efforts on one platform. Once more, GM's four lower-level divisions all offered various models on this platform throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s. The 1988 Fiat Tipo was one of the first European cars utilizing a modular platform , also used for the Fiat Tempra . Japanese carmakers have followed the platform sharing practice with Honda 's Acura line, Nissan 's Infiniti brand, and Toyota's Lexus marque, as
588-451: Is open to sharing the platform with manufacturers outside of the VW Group. In addition to the platform, VW also offered individual components as well as top hat development and contract manufacturing . In late 2018, the companies announced talks about the sharing of technology. In 2019, the planned volume was doubled from 600,000 to 1.2 million. Two models are planned to be produced by Ford,
630-480: Is produced in the Škoda plant in Mladá Boleslav , Czech Republic, along with electric motors and electric car batteries. As of November 2018, two types of the MEB platform were slated to be developed: one for passenger vehicles and one for utility automobiles that accommodate heavier cargo. VW also stated that the platform would be available for procurement to competitor manufacturers. Ford Motor Company has
672-531: Is the Chevy Trailblazer and Chevy SSR ; both use the GMT-360 platform. In automotive design, the top hat is one or more vehicle upper body structures that can share a common platform. The upper body could vary from a crossover to a sedan or coupe thereby creating economies of scale and product differentiation . Rotor (electric) The rotor is a moving component of an electromagnetic system in
714-441: Is the scheme by which the function of a product is allocated to physical components. The use of a platform strategy provides several benefits: The car platform strategy has become important in new product development and in the innovation process. The finished products have to be responsive to market needs and to demonstrate distinctiveness while – at the same time – they must be developed and produced at low cost. Adopting such
756-407: Is to reduce the cost and have a more efficient product development process. The companies gain on reduced procurement costs by taking advantage of the commonality of the components. However, this also limits their ability to differentiate the products and imposes a risk of losing the tangible uniqueness of the product. The companies have to make a trade-off between reducing their development costs and
798-642: The Explorer EV and the Capri EV . In July 2020 Fisker announced that it was in negotiations with VW about using the MEB for the planned Fisker Ocean , that was already unveiled in late 2019. A month later, the negotiations were halted. In October 2020, it was announced that Magna Steyr will be assembling the vehicle using Magna's own EV technology. Mahindra announced in late 2022 that they intend to use MEB components for Mahindra's upcoming EV platform named "Inglo". Mahindra planned to launch five vehicles based on
840-557: The Volvo S40 . Differences between shared models typically involve styling, including headlights , tail lights, and front and rear fascias . Examples also involve differing engines and drivetrains . In some cases such as the Lexus ES that is a Toyota Camry, "same car, same blueprints, same skeleton off the same assembly line in the same factory", but the Lexus is marketed with premium coffee in
882-486: The dealership's showroom and reduced greens fees at Pebble Beach Golf Links as part of the higher-priced badge. Platform sharing may be less noticeable now; however, it is still very apparent. Vehicle architectures primarily consist of "under the skin" components, and shared platforms can show up in unusual places, like the Nissan FM platform -mates Nissan 350Z marketed as a sports car and Infiniti FX positioned as
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#1732851922573924-574: The electric motor , electric generator , or alternator . Its rotation is due to the interaction between the windings and magnetic fields which produces a torque around the rotor's axis. An early example of electromagnetic rotation was the first rotary machine built by Ányos Jedlik with electromagnets and a commutator , in 1826-27. Other pioneers in the field of electricity include Hippolyte Pixii who built an alternating current generator in 1832, and William Ritchie's construction of an electromagnetic generator with four rotor coils ,
966-510: The Inglo. The MEB platform is supported by the APP 310 electric motor , which is a permanent magnet brushless motor . Fully developed by Volkswagen, the name "APP" derives from the arrangement of the motor and the gearbox in parallel with the axle , while "310" references its maximum torque of 310 N⋅m (31.6 kg⋅m; 229 lb⋅ft). Maximum torque is achieved at a low engine speed, which means that
1008-650: The VW Group had committed US$ 48 billion in electric-vehicle batteries supplies and announced plans to outfit 16 factories to build electric cars by the end of 2022. The Volkswagen-branded production cars started to be assembled in VW's Zwickau plant in Germany for the European market at the end of 2019, while two plants in North America and China started production in 2020 and Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2022. The Škoda-branded SUV Enyaq
1050-446: The armature windings simultaneously. A salient pole ends in a pole shoe , a high- permeability part with an outer surface shaped as a segment of a cylinder to homogenize the distribution of the magnetic flux to the stator. The cylindrical shaped rotor is made of a solid steel shaft with slots running along the outside length of the cylinder for holding the field windings of the rotor which are laminated copper bars inserted into
1092-403: The common central body of the rotor. The poles are supplied by direct current or magnetized by permanent magnets . The armature with a three-phase winding is on the stator where voltage is induced. Direct current (DC), from an external exciter or from a diode bridge mounted on the rotor shaft, produces a magnetic field and energizes the rotating field windings and alternating current energizes
1134-530: The degree of differentiation of the products. Platform sharing is a practice commonly employed by various brands within a corporate group. The fundamental components of a shared platform typically include the chassis and the drive unit. The extent to which different automobile or motorcycle models utilize the same components can vary, leading to different degrees of structural equality and platform similarity: The remaining vehicle parts are categorised into "head" parts and system parts: Platform sharing facilitates
1176-458: The efficient production and development of vehicles by leveraging common components across different models, thereby reducing costs and enhancing operational efficiency. One of the first car companies to use this product development approach was General Motors in 1908. General Motors used a single chassis for certain class of model across most of its brands like Chevrolet , Buick , Pontiac and Oldsmobile . Later, Chrysler Corporation would do
1218-624: The entry-level luxury models are based on their mainstream lineup. For example, the Lexus ES is essentially an upgraded and rebadged Toyota Camry . After Daimler-Benz merged with Chrysler , Chrysler engineers used several M-B platforms for new models including the Crossfire which was based on the M-B SLK roadster . Other models that share platforms are the European Ford Focus , Mazda 3 , and
1260-424: The favorite for most applications. The assembly has a twist: the bars are slanted , or skewed, to reduce magnetic hum and slot harmonics and to reduce the tendency of locking. Housed in the stator, the rotor and stator teeth can lock when they are in equal number and the magnets position themselves equally apart, opposing rotation in both directions. Bearings at each end mount the rotor in its housing, with one end of
1302-674: The letter "K" to indicate their shared platform. In later stages, the "K" platform was extended in wheelbase, as well as use for several of the Corporation's different models. In the same decade, Fiat and Saab jointly developed cars using the Type Four platform to compete with the German-dominated European executive car segment. General Motors used similar strategies with its "J" platform that debuted in mid-1981 in four of GM's divisions. Subsequently, GM introduced its "A" bodies for
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1344-413: The machine shaft that converts alternating current to direct current. In a three-phase induction machine, alternating current supplied to the stator windings energizes it to create a rotating magnetic flux. The flux generates a magnetic field in the air gap between the stator and the rotor and induces a voltage which produces current through the rotor bars. The rotor circuit is shorted and current flows in
1386-407: The motor speeds up, the resistances can be reduced to zero. A salient pole rotor is built upon a stack of "star shaped" steel laminations, typically with 2 or 3 or 4 or 6, maybe even 18 or more "radial prongs" sticking out from the middle, each of which is wound with copper wire to form a discrete outward facing electromagnet pole. The inward facing ends of each prong are magnetically grounded into
1428-424: The naming scheme suggests. It is the same size as the APP 310. According to a press release the efficiency has been increased through an improved inverter. All-wheel drive models are equipped with an auxiliary front axle motor. This motor is a 3-phase AC induction motor . It is only used when needed for acceleration or handling. It is purchased from a Magna subsidiary. Car platform A basic definition of
1470-476: The number of microprocessors, advance the application of new driver-assistance technology and somewhat alter the way cars are built" by the VW Group. The MEB platform is part of a Volkswagen strategy to start production of new battery electric vehicles between 2019 and 2025. In 2017, the VW Group announced a gradual transition from combustion engine to battery electric vehicles with all 300 models across 12 brands having an electric version by 2030. As of May 2018,
1512-399: The rotor conductors. The action of the rotating flux and the current produces a force that generates a torque to start the motor. An alternator rotor is made up of a wire coil enveloped around an iron core. The magnetic component of the rotor is made from steel laminations to aid stamping conductor slots to specific shapes and sizes. As currents travel through the wire coil a magnetic field
1554-418: The rotor is powering can be manipulated by using the magnets and magnetic fields installed in the design of the rotor, allowing the motor to run in reverse or counterclockwise . The rotating magnetic field induces a voltage in the rotor bars as it passes over them. This equation applies to induced voltage in the rotor bars. where: A torque is produced by the force produced through the interactions of
1596-689: The same chassis design at different years though the primary vehicle was still in production. In the United States, platform sharing has been a common practice since the 1960s. This was when GM used the same platform in the development of the Pontiac LeMans , the Buick Skylark , the Chevrolet Chevelle , and the Oldsmobile Cutlass . In the 1980s, Chrysler 's K-cars all wore a badge with
1638-593: The same for Plymouth , DeSoto and Dodge cars. Ford followed the same principle for Ford and Mercury in US markets. The chassis unit was common with many shared mechanical components while the exterior styling and interior trims were designed according to its individual brand and category. In recent years for monocoque chassis, platform-sharing combined with advanced and flexible-manufacturing technology enabled automakers to sharply reduce product development and changeover times, while modular design and assembly allow building
1680-454: The same four divisions using the same tread width/wheelbase of the "X" body platform, but with larger bodywork to make the cars seem larger, and with larger trunk compartments. They were popular through the 1980s, primarily. Even Cadillac started offering a "J" body model called the Cimarron , a much gussied-up version of the other four brands' platform siblings. A similar strategy applied to what
1722-433: The shaft protruding to allow the attachment of the load. In some motors, there is an extension at the non-driving end for speed sensors or other electronic controls . The generated torque forces motion through the rotor to the load. The wound rotor is a cylindrical core made of steel lamination with slots to hold the wires for its 3-phase windings which are evenly spaced at 120 electrical degrees apart and connected in
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1764-413: The slots and is secured by wedges. The slots are insulated from the windings and are held at the end of the rotor by slip rings. An external direct current (DC) source is connected to the concentrically mounted slip rings with brushes running along the rings. The brushes make electrical contact with the rotating slip rings. DC current is also supplied through brushless excitation from a rectifier mounted on
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