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At Munro & Associates, we tear things down to build understanding—and few things excite us more than brilliant engineering that exceeds expectations. When we got our hands on Volkswagen’s new APP550 electric drive system, we knew we were in for something special. We’d like to thank VW for the opportunity to borrow this unit for analysis, and after going through it piece by piece, we’re confident in saying: this motor is a serious leap forward.
The APP550 fits into the exact same space as VW’s previous electric drive unit. And yet, it delivers 560 Nm of torque—up from 310 Nm—and 210 kW of power, compared to the earlier 150 kW. That’s not just a modest upgrade; it’s a transformation. Dropping this motor into any of VW’s current electric vehicles instantly makes them more competitive, efficient, and, let’s be honest, more fun to drive.
The real standout here is efficiency—VW clearly made it a design priority. That’s visible in every component, from the winding to the gear design to the innovative thermal management. This isn’t just an incremental improvement; it’s a whole new ball game for VW.
When we previously tore down VW’s earlier motor, we were impressed. But this time, we’re uber impressed. So much so that we’re calling this the second-best electric motor in the world today—right behind Lucid’s unit, which is impressive in its own right but built for a different, smaller scale. VW’s motor, by contrast, is ready to be rolled out across a mass-market lineup, and that’s a big deal.
Let’s talk comparisons. The stator windings here are very similar to what we see in the Ford Lightning. That’s not a bad thing—the Lightning’s power and torque density are among the best globally. What VW did was focus on meticulous execution: the uniformity of the hairpin windings and the precision of their spacing is spectacular. That kind of build quality translates into durability, a crucial factor in real-world use.
One of the most impressive measurements we found was the resistance balance across the three motor phases. Each phase came in at exactly 10.0 milliohms—a target they clearly aimed for from the start. Achieving that level of precision in a production model (not just a prototype) is nothing short of incredible. It speaks to a team that’s firing on all cylinders—from machining and assembly to quality control and procurement.
Cooling was another area that blew us away. VW uses a combination of water and oil cooling—water for the stator housing and oil spray internally to cool the rotor. It’s an elegant approach that eliminates the need for a pump, reducing complexity and weight while ensuring high reliability. Clever design details, like oil catchers to keep bearings lubricated even after long periods of inactivity, show just how far VW went in pursuit of excellence.
This kind of quality doesn’t happen by accident. The fit between components, the attention to detail, the consistent performance—it’s German engineering at its best. While other manufacturers chase lower costs by cutting corners, VW chose to go in the opposite direction, optimizing the entire system to maximize real-world efficiency. Their decision to spin the motor slower, for example, makes the entire drive unit quieter and more efficient, a win-win for both performance and driver comfort.
The gearbox is equally impressive. With a 9.8:1 gear ratio—down from 13:1—they’ve reduced internal friction while maintaining excellent torque delivery. The gear set is so precisely machined and balanced that you can spin it by hand, and it just keeps going. It’s built like a Swiss watch—if Swiss watches were capable of propelling electric vehicles, that is.
Let’s talk about the rotor. It uses skewed magnets arranged in a stepped configuration, reducing acoustic noise by spreading the magnetic forces over time. That attention to NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) is often overlooked in EV motors but makes a huge difference in driving experience. VW also opted for stronger magnets, likely neodymium, which deliver better performance and more torque per amp. That means better off-the-line acceleration and more efficient low-speed cruising.
From a manufacturing standpoint, VW made smart choices too. The stator is heat-shrink fit into the housing—a process that demands exacting tolerances and automation. When you see this level of precision, you just know there’s tight process control behind it. The kind of shop floor with real-time quality metrics posted and monitored.
There’s even room for future upgrades. This motor runs at 400V today but has four parallel paths in the winding. With a simple reconnection, VW could move to two parallel paths and upgrade this motor to 800V—a future-proof design that’s ready to scale with the next generation of EVs.
Backward compatibility is another highlight. The APP550 slots into VW’s existing vehicle platforms without the need for extensive redesigns. That saves time and integration costs, making this a smart business decision as well as a technical triumph.
Of course, no teardown would be complete without a few critiques. VW’s inverter design has been improved—it’s now integrated into the housing, unlike the old bolt-on box—but it still relies heavily on threaded fasteners. There are dozens of screws holding the components together, which introduces unnecessary failure points and complicates assembly. We’d love to see more snap-fit designs or fewer fasteners in future iterations.
That said, the inverter itself is solid. It uses Infineon IGBTs, which are a proven choice for 400V systems. And while Infineon used to have a reputation for being expensive, increased competition has likely driven prices down. Still, the decision to stay with ordinary silicon rather than silicon carbide shows that VW is optimizing cost and performance for today’s needs while keeping an eye on the future.
Perhaps most encouraging of all: this is a true European product. Sourcing is spread across Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Turkey. That’s not just good for regional industry—it’s a vote of confidence in maintaining a high standard of manufacturing excellence within Europe.
In a time when many manufacturers are chasing the cheapest way to “get it done,” it’s refreshing to see VW buck the trend and raise the bar. The APP550 doesn’t just perform better—it’s built better. It’s smarter. And it signals that VW is serious about being a major player in the electric vehicle world.
This teardown has revitalized our optimism in Volkswagen’s EV future. If they can carry this level of engineering into the rest of their lineup, the electric road ahead looks very bright indeed.
More detailed breakdowns coming your way—stay connected with Munro Live.