- VW Group’s subsidiary Cariad reportedly faces challenges with the software development for the upcoming SSP architecture.
- This is expected to cause a delay in future EV launches by Volkswagen, and possibly other brands.
- Insider sources confirm that the debut of the VW ID.4 successor has been postponed to 2029.
Volkswagen seems to be having a hard time with the software of the upcoming SSP (Scalable System Platform) architecture. A delay in the development has reportedly forced the company to postpone the launch of several new models – including the successor of the ID.4 SUV.
The SSP architecture is expected to succeed the widely used MEB, eventually underpinning the majority of VW’s production models. The initial target was to bring it to the market in 2025, but this doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. The CEO of Volkswagen Thomas Schafer has hinted that the first SSP-based model could be the electric successor of the Golf, which is set to arrive in 2028.
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The software for the EV-dedicated architecture is being developed by VW Group’s Cariad. The company wants the new platform to support ultra-fast charging times (around 12 minutes), and be compatible with Level 4 autonomous driving. Unfortunately, software challenges mean it won’t be ready on time, inevitably affecting the product development schedule.
According to a report by German media Manager Magazin, which has also been confirmed by insider sources to Handelsblatt, the launch of the VW ID.4 successor has been postponed by 15 months, and is now set to arrive in 2029 at the earliest. The ID.4 was introduced in 2020, meaning it will be nine years old when the time comes for its replacement. Another fully electric SUV by VW, codenamed T-Sport, will also reportedly arrive later than expected, in 2031.
There is no information about other brands within the VW Group, but derivatives of the SSP are also expected to be used in future models by Audi, Porsche, Skoda, and VW Commercial vehicles, making us believe that more launches might have to be postponed.
Another reason for postponing the debuts of the SSP-based models is to allow the investment for the MEB architecture to pay off. The platform that currently underpins the entire ID family, is set to receive an update (MEB+) in 2026, so it will stick around for longer. Future MEB-based models include the much-anticipated ID.2 hatchback that will arrive in 2026, and the ID.1 entry-level EV.
Last year, VW canceled plans for a dedicated EV factory near Wolfsburg, which would require a €2 billion ($2.12 billion) investment. Instead, the automaker will update the existing Wolfsburg and Zwickau plants, to accommodate the production of SSP-based models.
