Volkswagen: China is the center of the global automotive future

BEIJING: Oliver Blume, CEO of the Volkswagen Group, says China has become the epicenter of the future of the automotive industry.

He made these remarks last Friday at the 2024 World Congress of New Energy Vehicles held in Haikou, Hainan Province.

Volkswagen celebrates its 40th anniversary in China, its largest market in the world.

“Over the past four decades, we are proud to have become an integral part of Chinese life and shape the development of China’s automotive industry,” he said.

Blume said its success lies in its partnerships with local Chinese companies, including FAW and SAIC.

Currently, the German carmaker has 50 million customers, almost 40 factories and 90,000 employees in China.

Looking to the future, he said, the company has made key strategic decisions and defined its target picture for 2030, with a clear ambition to be a leading multinational car company in China.

A key element of Volkswagen’s strategy is the consistent implementation of the “in China for China” approach, he added.

“With this, we strive to become an even more integral part of China’s local industry ecosystem,” Blume said.

As part of this approach, Volkswagen said earlier this year that it was crucial to expand its own development capabilities and forge strong partnerships with local technology companies and original equipment manufacturers to accelerate to “Chinese speed.”

As he said earlier, the Volkswagen Group, which also includes Audi and Porsche, plans to introduce 40 new models to the market over the next three years and to offer 30 electric vehicles by 2030. —China Daily/ANN