VW planning 30 new plug-in cars for China by 2020

Volkswagen say it will take them no more than two years to launch more than 30 new electric cars and plug-in hybrids in China. Moreover, the Group’s Chinese arm is considering to install a public high power charging network together with local partners from 2019.

Volkswagen announced their plans at the Guangzhou Auto Show currently taking place in China. At the media meeting, they also specified to build half of their 30 new energy vehicles locally and to import the remaining 50 percent.

In production numbers, Volkswagen aims to deliver around 400,000 electrified vehicles in 2020 and to increase this figure to 1.5 million by 2025. 2020 is also the year in which the first electric vehicles based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform will come onto the market in China. They will roll off the assembly line at the joint venture plants of FAW-Volkswagen in Foshan and SAIC-Volkswagen in Anting.

As far as infrastructure is concerned, the German carmaker is considering setting up a public fast charging network in China, in partnership with other firms that have yet to be named.

In a more concrete manner, Volkswagen China was able to secure 4 billion euros of investment from the parent company. In 2019 alone the money will fund forays into electric mobility, connectivity, mobility services, research and development capacities, and production – all future technologies VW has mapped out globally before (we reported).

The importance of China for Volkswagen will receive another boost, once Volkswagen China CEO Jochem Heizmann will retire in early 2019. CEO Herbert Diess will take over the Group’s China division from this point on while Stephan Wöllenstein will be the acting CEO in China.

On a global scale, Volkswagen’s Roadmap E strategy lines up 50 electric cars to be launched by 2025 . This will turn VW into a large volume manufacturer of plug-in vehicles throughout the coming decade.

volkswagengroupchina.com.cn (NEV roadmap China), volkswagengroupchina.com.cn (Heinzmann/Diess)