The longevity and robustness of a vehicle as well as the safety of its occupants is hugely dependant on the vehicle chassis. The growing demand for vehicles to offer a near-perfect blend of power and comfort has prompted OEMs to develop customised chassis systems that can be leveraged across a range of vehicles. This explains why vehicle platforms have evolved over the years with a strong leaning towards modularity.
Essentially, the modular platform is an outcome of three developments happening across the industry – commonising across body styles, sharing among brands and adapting to new manufacturing as well as energy/ propulsion systems, say experts. The larger an OEM is in terms of brands, partners and body styles, the bigger is the challenge to design and develop the right number of modular platforms, like in the case of General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen.
VEHICLE PLATFORM TRENDS
Going forward, electric platforms will be a big focus area. Many auto majors have either announced or introduced their electric platforms, while some have joined hands to develop them, like Volkswagen’s MEB platform that will be used by Ford. Experts say platforms will have to be designed to accommodate greater space and scope for non-constant items, even as innovations will continue to happen in common architecture, common operating parts, common software and common safety standards.
This story is from the May 2020 edition of Auto Tech Review.
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This story is from the May 2020 edition of Auto Tech Review.
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