Meanwhile, a Lamborghini PHEV model will make its world premiere at the ‘Group Media Night’.
40 years, 39 plants and around 50 million customers – Volkswagen’s strong China foundation
For the last 40 years, Volkswagen Group, its brands and strong partners have never stopped moving forward alongside China’s auto industry and their Chinese customers. In China's highly competitive auto environment, the Volkswagen Group can rely on its strong market position.
Not only is the Group the clear market leader in China in terms of new registrations, it is also the clear leader in terms of vehicles in operation. Around 50 million customers now drive a car produced by the Group brands. In addition, brand loyalty is above the market average for the Group's locally produced Audi and Volkswagen models. As a result, the Group’s 40-year presence in China is an advantage in this dynamically developing market.
More than 3,500 dealers in the nationwide retail network are the point of contact for customers of the Group's brands. Customers can choose from around 160 passenger car models from the Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche, ŠKODA, Bentley and Lamborghini brands - and the motorcycle manufacturer Ducati also offers ten of its models in China.
Volkswagen has 39 plants in China, making it an integral part of the country's industrial ecosystem. Strong partnerships connect the Volkswagen Group with the Chinese high-tech companies Horizon Robotics (autonomous driving functions), ThunderSoft (infotainment) and ARK (user experience). Over 90,000 employees work for the Group in China, making Volkswagen the largest European employer in China.
‘In China, for China’ transformation at ‘China speed’
As the industry enters a new era of intelligent, connected vehicles, the Group has set a clear course in China with ‘Target Picture 2030’, making significant progress over the past 20 months.
Under its ‘In China, for China’ strategy, the Volkswagen Group is accelerating its development to ‘China speed’. It is strengthening its local development capacities for e-mobility, digitalization and autonomous driving and accelerating its decision making and development processes in the region. This will allow the company to address market-defining trends in China at an early stage and best leverage the market’s growth dynamics and innovative strength.
As a result, the Group is expanding its site in Hefei into a state-of-the-art production, development, and innovation hub, while also focusing on partnerships with Chinese high-tech companies. A high level of technical localization and consistent customer orientation are the key for Volkswagen Group China and its joint ventures, SAIC Volkswagen, FAW-Volkswagen and Volkswagen Anhui, to take a leading role in the new ICV era.
Appendix: Group Brands at Beijing Auto Show *
Brands | Amount of Show Cars | Booth Location |
VW | 16 | Hall W4 |
Jetta | 3 | Hall W4 |
Audi | 14 | Hall E3 |
Porsche | 2 | Hall E4 |
Lamborghini | 4 | Hall E1 |
Bentley | 4 | Hall E1 |
* Ducati will present Ducati Diavel for Bentley only at the Volkswagen Group Media Night on April 24.