Volkswagen Project Trinity: Wolfsburg's Second Revolution

Volkswagen now provides a first design preview of the "Trinity" project: The electrically powered sedan is to be built in Wolfsburg from 2026 and aims to set new standards in range, charging speed, and digitalization. It is expected to be capable of highly automated driving at Level 4. A brief look back: The project name Trinity is derived from the Latin "Trinitas" and stands for the Trinity. Accordingly, Trinity represents three crucial topics: a newly developed electronics platform with the latest software, the simplification of the product range, and fully networked and intelligent production at the main plant in Wolfsburg. Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, explains:

"Trinity is something like the crystallization point of our Accelerate strategy, a lighthouse project, our software dream car."

The newly developed vehicle architecture aims to set standards in range, charging speed ("charging as fast as refueling"), and digitalization. Moreover, the Trinity project is intended to make autonomous driving accessible to many people in the volume segment. By the planned series launch in 2026, Trinity will already reach Level 2+ and be technically ready for Level 4, as Brandstätter explains:

"We are leveraging our economies of scale to make autonomous driving accessible to many people and to build a learning, neural network. This enables us to create the prerequisites for continuous data exchange within our vehicle fleet - for example, regarding traffic conditions, obstacles, or accidents."

According to Brandstätter, Trinity is intended to save people time and stress. He predicts: "After a long highway drive, you will arrive at your destination relaxed. Because you let yourself be driven – on vacation or home after work. For our customers, Trinity will be a kind of 'time machine'."

New Steps in Production

But VW also aims to take new steps in the production of the series version: The Wolfsburg plant will become a flagship for the most modern, intelligent, and fully networked production processes. Here too, Brandstätter announces big things:

"We will completely rethink our way of building cars and introduce revolutionary approaches. Digitalization, automation, and lightweight construction play an important role here."

Future vehicle models like Trinity are to be produced with significantly fewer variants according to VW, and the hardware would be largely standardized. The cars will then have almost everything on board, and the customer can unlock desired functions "on demand" via the digital ecosystem in the car at any time. This is expected to significantly reduce complexity in manufacturing.

The Car Becomes a Software Product

Through the further development of the car into a software-based product, Volkswagen intends to create the prerequisites for new, data-based business models. Entry barriers to individual mobility are to be lowered while offering more attractive usage packages. In this way, Volkswagen aims to generate additional revenue during the usage phase – for charging and energy services, for software-based functions that the customer can book as needed, or for automated driving. "In the future, the individual configuration of the vehicle will no longer be determined by the hardware at the time of purchase. Rather, the customer can book functions 'on demand' via the digital ecosystem in the car at any time," says Ralf Brandstätter.

What Does That Mean?

With Trinity, VW aims to take another big step forward – especially in software. We expect an 800-volt architecture for much faster charging, more efficient electric motors, and even more powerful batteries. However, two problems arise: 1. The MEB will probably already be considered outdated during the "rollout," even though one still has to wait five years for the first Trinity model. And 2. Customers will always need updates for their Trinity models, which ideally will hopefully be always free and installed overnight without much effort. Otherwise, the proclaimed "relaxation" will be a missed opportunity, which – sorry VW – even a Golf 2, in all its solidity and simplicity, already managed quite well!