Germany’s Volkswagen Group strengthens position in Chinese market
早些時候 Volkswagen 集團宣布了兩項與中國車廠的全新戰略合作。首先是 VW 品牌與中國新能源車「新勢力」三強之一的小鵬汽車（XPENG）達成了技術框架協議，在合作初期雙方會基於小鵬 G9 所用平台打造兩款為中國市場而設的中型電動車新品。它們會作為 VW 旗下 MEB 平台車款的補充，預期將於 2026 年問世。作為該合作的一部分，VW 會斥資約 7 億美元購入小鵬 4.99% 的股份，交易完成後 VW 集團將獲得小鵬董事會觀察員的席位。
與此同時，Volkswagen 集團下的 Audi 也與自己的中國合資夥伴上汽集團簽署了新的戰略備忘錄。雙方未來會透過共同開發拓展高階智慧型連網電動車，作為計畫的第一步，Audi 將推出全新車款「進入此前在中國尚未覆蓋的細分市場」。
如果你對中國汽車行業有所了解的話，那合資車廠的模式想來一定不陌生。只是在這合作關係中，過去往往是由外企來提供核心的技術。而隨著中國電動車市場的飛速發展，傳統國際車廠的技術迭代在本土「新勢力」面前已經開始力不從心。此次 Volkswagen 集團與中國車廠的一系列合作，或許會成為中外合作關係逆轉的一個開端。
German carmaker Volkswagen Group said on Wednesday that it was strengthening its position in the Chinese car market with cooperations between the VW brand and Chinese electric carmaker XPENG and between Audi and SAIC, one of China’s largest carmakers.
The move further underscores German companies’ interests in expanding their operations in the Chinese market, even as some German politicians are pushing for so-called “de-risking” economic ties with China. Chinese officials and analysts have rejected such a push could impede normal, win-win cooperation.
With the deal between VW and XPENG, the Volkswagen Group is to invest approximately $700 million in the Chinese manufacturer of intelligent electric cars. The initial stage of the cooperation shall provide for the joint development of two VW brand electric models for the mid-size segment in the Chinese market, according to a press release.
Meanwhile, the recently founded Volkswagen Group China Technology Company (VCTC) is the development partner for XPENG. The new development, innovation and procurement center is the Group’s largest development location outside Wolfsburg, Germany, where the company is headquartered.
In a separate deal, Audi has signed a strategic memorandum with its Chinese joint venture partner SAIC to further expand existing cooperation. Joint development activities are to extend the portfolio of fully connected electric vehicles on offer in the premium segment swiftly and efficiently, according to the press release.
“Both agreements also envisage a planned, future joint development of new local platforms for the next generation of intelligent, fully connected vehicles (ICV). The partnerships aim to swiftly expand the Group’s product range with further models from China for China in particularly promising customer and market segments,” the press release said.
Volkswagen’s announcement on Wednesday comes just about two weeks after the German government issued its first so-called “China Strategy” in mid-July, in which it said “de-risking is urgently needed,” though it was not pursuing “a decoupling of our economies.”
The document drew criticism from Chinese officials and experts. The Chinese Embassy in Germany urged Germany to view China’s development in a rational, comprehensive and objective manner. The embassy said viewing China and making China policy based on ideological bias will only lead to misunderstanding and misjudgment, and impair cooperation and mutual trust.
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