Volkswagen Anhui  – former JAC-Volkswagen – has started building Seat’s sporty daughter Cupra’s second EV, the Tavascan, in the Anhui province in China, to be launched in 2024 in Europe. Based on the Volkswagen Group MEB platform, the Cupra Tavascan will be available with either 210 or 250 kWh of power and a WLTP range of up to 549 km.

Cupra does not exist as a brand in China. But the brand-new Anhui factory that broke ground in 2021 and became operational at the end of 2023 will also produce another Volkswagen-branded model for the Chinese market, according to local media.

Third VW factory in China

The Tavascan is built on the same hardware and software platform as the ID series, which Volkswagen also makes in China with two other joint ventures, SAIC-Volkswagen and FAW-Volkswagen. The joint venture with JAC (Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group) dates back to 2017 and was rebaptized into Volkswagen Anhui when the German carmaker took a 75% share in 2020.

In Anhui, Volkswagen also runs its parts factory, and it’s actually VW’s first fully-owned battery factory in China, where the first high-voltage battery system officially went into production in November 2023. It will also produce CTP (cell-to-pack) battery packs with battery cells developed jointly with local Anhui battery manufacturer Gotion High-tech.

The most powerful MEB model

With the Tavascan, Volkswagen’s Spanish daughter launches a new breed. Until now, the electric motor in Cupra’s first EV, Born, produced 150 kW. The new generation APP550, first introduced in the VW ID.7, has an output of 210 kW. And that is precisely the power that Cupra specifies for the Tavascan with rear-wheel drive.

The top range of 250 kW output includes the additional drive unit on the front axle. The front asynchronous motor has an output of up to 80 kW, but the battery limits the system output. Since the Volkswagen ID.7 is not yet available as an all-wheel drive model, the Cupra Tavascan is currently the most potent MEB model.

While the rear electric motor is new, with more power and better efficiency compared to other SUV coupés based on the MEB platform, such as the VW ID.5, Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback, or Skoda Enyaq iV Coupé, the battery is the same.

Familiar battery pack

Of the 87 kWh installed, 77 kWh can be used as net energy content. That gives the Cupra Tavascan with rear-wheel drive a range of 549 kilometers, according to WLTP, due to the higher efficiency of the new APP550 drive.

The all-wheel drive should still be able to complete 517 kilometers on one charge. By comparison, the 150 kW rear-wheel drive ID.5 offers 534 kilometers, while the 220 kW ID.5 GTX is said to have a range of 520 kilometers.