Volkswagen has released the first image of Project Trinity – an electric sedan that promises higher electric driving range, charging speed, and digitisation along with Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities. The electric sedan will be built in Wolfsburg, Germany, beginning 2026.
The word “Trinity” has been derived from the Latin word “trinitas” which stands for tri-unity – representing the three pillars of Project Trinity. This includes a newly developed electronics platform with state-of-the-art software, simplification of supply structure, and a fully connected production line in Wolfsburg.
“We are using our economies of scale to make autonomous driving available to many and to build a learning neural network. In this way, we are creating the conditions for the continuous exchange of data from our vehicle fleet – for example, on the traffic situation, on obstacles or on accidents,” said Volkswagen CEO, Ralf Brandstätter.
It’s a similar situation with Volvo, where their vehicles can communicate with each other to warn of potential hazards or traffic conditions ahead.
Future vehicles such as Trinity will be produced with fewer variants, and the hardware will be largely standardised. The cars will then have virtually everything on board where customers can activate functions on-demand while at the same time, reduce complexity in production.
By developing the automobile into a software-based product, entry barriers to individual/personal mobility will be lowered while at the same time offering even more attractive usage packages.
“In the future, the personalisation of a car will no longer be determined by the hardware at the time of purchase. Instead, customers will be able to add functions on demand at any time via the digital ecosystem in the car,” says Ralf Brandstätter.
Sounds like buying a smartphone, don’t you think?
