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Volkswagen to manufacture e-vehicles in China in 2014

In China, the two joint ventures (SAIC Motor Corp and FAW Group) of the Volkswagen AG has all set to start the manufacturing of e-vehicles in 2014 and increase the mass production by 2018, announced by the China Chief of Volkswagen. During an EU-China business convention in Beijing, the Chief executive of Volkswagen’s China operations, Karl Thomas Meumann has admitted that initially the electric vehicles production was estimated around few thousand units at the Shanghai Volkswagen and FAW Volkswagen. Company is planning to increase this production figure upto 100, 000 units by 2018.

The growing e-vehicle market will be an integral move towards the expansion of the company’s China operations and to reduce the reliance on natural fuel sources and pollution level. The Chinese auto market desperately required the eco-friendly and fuel economic vehicles that prove to be a favouring aspect for the company’s electric vehicles, he added further.

Volkswagen will launch its very first plug-in-hybrid electric car in the partnership of SAIC Motor Corp and FAW Group in 2015. Neumann has said that the each partner will develop its own electric vehicles. But, he refused to make any comment or specify that the 100, 000 e-vehicle units would be the combined efforts of both the partners or their independent moves.

Stepping ahead in this direction, the central government of China has assigned $1.5 billion annually for the manufacturing plan of the next 10 years. These electric vehicles will be supplied from the 25 cities of the country including the Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Shenzhen. However, the limited charging stations, high sticker prices, safety measures and lack of models are the major concerning points in the growing market of the e-vehicles. The Indian portfolio of the company includes Volkswagen Beetle, Volkswagen Polo, Volkswagen Vento, Volkswagen Passat, Volkswagen Jetta, etc.