Volkswagen Group strives to lead the electric transformation of China’s auto industry. At the first World New Energy Vehicle Conference held in Boao, Hainan, China, Dr. Diss, CEO of Volkswagen Group, delivered a speech and further clarified this goal. At the conference, representatives from industry, technology and political circles witnessed the release of the “World New Energy Vehicle Conference Boao Consensus”. The Consensus proposes that by 2035, the annual sales of electric vehicles worldwide will be expected to increase to 50% of the total automobile market. This market share is also Volkswagen’s commitment to the Chinese market. Therefore, the Chinese auto market is crucial to the Volkswagen Group’s decarbonization strategy. This year, the Volkswagen Group plans to introduce 14 electric vehicles to Chinese consumers. By 2028, the group plans to produce 22 million electric vehicles, more than half of which will be produced in China. At the same time, the group is strengthening its local R&D. Currently, more than 4,500 engineers are engaged in research and development of future technologies in China.
At the conference, Dr. Diss focused on the important role of the automotive industry in achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement: “China has made it clear that it will strive to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and solve it through mobile emissions with zero carbon emissions. The program fulfills its commitments. In this transformation, we can play a key role in providing a wide range of electric vehicles and an increasingly sophisticated private charging infrastructure.”
At the same time, Dr. Diss also stressed that the long-term development of the electric vehicle industry is inseparable from a stable and reliable legal policy framework. He welcomed the further opening of China.
The electric vehicle industry is booming in China. Last year, China’s plug-in hybrid and pure electric-powered models sold more than one million units. China has become the world’s largest electric vehicle market. The government is further supporting the development of electric mobility through comprehensive initiatives such as expanding charging infrastructure and reducing charging costs. In addition, China is using more renewable energy to generate electricity.
The Volkswagen Group is advancing the electrification offensive. By 2028, the group plans to produce about 11.6 million pure electric vehicles in China, accounting for more than half of the Group’s global production target of 22 million pure electric vehicles. Volkswagen Group (China) will work together with FAW-Volkswagen, SAIC Volkswagen and Jianghuai Volkswagen to achieve this goal. The two MEB production bases of SAIC Volkswagen Anting Plant and FAW-Volkswagen Foshan Plant are currently under construction and are scheduled to be completed and put into operation next year. By then, the Volkswagen Group will have an annual production capacity of 600,000 pure electric vehicles in China. In addition, JAC and SEAT are developing small electric vehicle production platforms. Next year, Volkswagen Group (China) will deliver about 400,000 electric vehicles to its customers. By 2020, Volkswagen Group (China) will meet all policy and regulatory requirements including the average fuel consumption of all new cars not exceeding 5 liters per 100 kilometers, and the “double-point” system for the proportion of electric vehicles in total vehicle production.
The ecological footprint of the Volkswagen Group and its partners in all 33 production sites in China will be further improved. In the past year alone, the Volkswagen Group’s plant emissions in China have decreased by 390,000 tons, down 13% year-on-year.
In addition, the Volkswagen Group (China) has established a new joint venture to further improve the charging infrastructure. Chinese customers can charge electric cars at home and on the road with greater flexibility and convenience. As part of the joint venture between the Group and Star Charging, FAW Group and Jianghuai Automobile, a private wall box product will be launched at the end of this year; a large number of public charging stations are gradually being established, and electric vehicle users and charging stations can be interconnected and driven. The staff can quickly and easily find the right charging location. The wholly-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Group (China), Yijia Intelligent, will provide this interoperable solution and will create a digital ecosystem for all mobile applications.
Source and photo credits: Volkswagen group China
