New Volkswagen Trinity project is radical EV flagship for 2026
2026 production version of Trinity will be similar size and shape to Arteon
Wolfsburg is readying a bespoke platform for high-tech Project Trinity, which will 'democratise' autonomous driving
Volkswagen’s new ‘Project Trinity’ flagship model will arrive in 2026 as a cutting-edge electric vehicle offering autonomous driving and introducing a ‘radical’ new business model, with most functions offered as downloadable services.
The forthcoming EV has been described previously as a “highly efficient flat-seat concept with an iconic design” and a teaser image shown as part of a VW presentation suggests it will take the form of a swooping saloon similar to the Arteon.
The machine will be built on VW’s advanced new Project Trinity electric architecture , which will use elements from the VW Group’s MEB platform, but with new powertrains and advanced software. That will enable it to offer substantially more advanced systems, both in terms of driving technology and connectivity.
Project Trinity will launch in 2026 offering Level 2+ advanced driver assistance systems, and VW CEO Ralf Brandstätter said that would likely be upgraded to Level 4 – allowing for full autonomous driving on certain roads – by 2030.
Brandstätter described Project Trinity as “our software dream car”, saying it would introduce an entirely new business model for the firm, with a radically reduced number of variants: buyers will only be able to choose from battery size, paint colour and wheel specification.
Owners will then be able to turn activate and deactivate certain hardware functions when required, with other features offered as over-the-air downloads.
“We’re going to radically reduce the number of variants,” said Brandstatter. “With Trinity, the hardware is largely unified: you select battery capacity, colour and wheels and then order it on smartphone. The functions can be set as you go along: you can add features through your digital system.”
Brandstatter said that offering such functions as upgrades means that “Trinity is going to become a time machine.”
While no details of initial pricing have been set, Brandstatter said that Project Trinity was designed to “launch new technology in large volumes for the mainstream market.” We added: “With Trinity, Volkswagen is once again bringing the future to series production cars.”
The production version of Project Trinity will be produced at Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg plant, with the firm saying that it will also “reinvent production as we know it today”. VW says that the reduction in hardware variants will dramatically increase production times by reducing complexity, and the firm will also introduce new production technology.
Fellow VW Group brand Audi is also developing an advanced new EV platform, dubbed Artemis, which will likely be used for future high-tech premium models from Audi, Bentley and Porsche. Brandstatter said that the two projects were “complementary”, suggesting that Trinity would be the key driver of software development within the group.
Project Trinity will be a key part of Volkswagen’s new Accelerate strategy, under which the firm is aiming to develop new business models, particularly through connected services and upgrades.
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