Volkswagen stepping up its efforts in China

Ti Gong

German automaker Volkswagen is stepping up its efforts in electric vehicle development, including batteries and charging for green cars in the Chinese market.

The company said its goal is to significantly reduce the complexity and cost of batteries in order to make electric cars attractive and viable for buyers. China is an important part of its global plan, it said.

The competition for new-energy vehicles is becoming fiercer in the world's largest auto market. Multinational companies hope to plan ahead and find charging companies as partners in order to take a lead in the future.

Last month, sales of new-energy vehicles surged 584.7 percent to 110,000 units. China will further promote high-quality development by advancing the integration of technologies such as electrification and intelligent networking.

Volkswagen is expanding its public fast-charging network across the country. In China, a total of 17,000 fast-charging points are being targeted by Volkswagen by 2025 through its CAMS joint venture.

For batteries, the automaker said it enjoys good cooperation with Chinese battery manufacturers Contemporary Amerex Technology Co Ltd and Gotion Hi-tech. 

Herbert Diess, chairman of the Volkswagen Group board, said the next round of battery factory investment may be in China.

“E-mobility has become core business for us,” Diess said. “We are now systematically integrating additional stages in the value chain. We secure a long-term pole position in the race for the best battery and best customer experience in the age of zero emission mobility.”

The production of electric vehicles needs a solid vehicle platform. Volkswagen already has a new modular electric vehicle platform, known as MEB. This platform is now being scaled up worldwide with production in Europe, China and the US.