Valeo confirms commitment to China

Valeo is focusing on growth in China, where it develops, tests and introduces innovative products and technologies, said CEO Christophe Périllat.

Périllat made the remarks at an event in Zhejiang province to mark the French car supplier’s 30th anniversary in China.

In 1994, Valeo introduced its wiper blade business domestically by opening a production plant in Wenling, Zhejiang Province.

After more than 30 years of development, the company has become a supplier of wipers to almost all car manufacturers on the Chinese market, said Jean-Luc Terrasse, Vice President of Valeo’s Wiper Systems Products Division.

Périllat said Valeo will increase its investments in China in areas such as electrification, autonomous driving and software, as well as visual systems.

He added that China has become somewhat of a training center for global automakers, and Valeo will train with them to grow faster, higher and stronger.

China is Valeo’s largest market in the world. Currently, more than 70 percent of Valeo’s orders in China come from local Chinese automakers, both established and startups.

Valeo said China is one of the key markets in its Move Up strategy, where the company has 35 production bases, 14 R&D centers and more than 4,500 R&D employees.