NEWS

Beijing, April 27th, 2021. Volkswagen Group China has begun construction of an all-new MEB plant at Volkswagen Anhui recently. As the third of the Group’s pure-electric vehicle manufacturing facilities in China, following completion of the Anting (SAIC VW) and Foshan (FAW-VW) plants, the Volkswagen Anhui plant will be powered by green energy from day one. Due for completion mid-2022, the plant is set for start of production in the second half of 2023. The plant is a cornerstone of Volkswagen’s e-mobility push. By 2025, Volkswagen Group China plans to deliver up to 1.5 million new energy vehicles (NEVs) per year.

Dr. Stephan Wöllenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Group China, said: “Volkswagen Anhui is set to become a global hub for e-mobility innovation and a cornerstone of the Group’s decarbonization strategy. As China is the world’s largest single market for NEV vehicles, we need to strengthen our local competence, and Volkswagen Anhui is a significant part of it. With the plant to be powered by green energy from day one, we are demonstrating our commitment to reducing carbon emissions beyond our fleet.” 

New construction at Volkswagen Anhui includes brownfield repurposing and upscaling of the former JAC plant and the establishment of a completely new body shop area. The new body shop will cover roughly 141,000m2 and makes up part of the total project area, together covering around 500,000m2. The new plant will incorporate a number of energy saving strategies as part of comprehensive efforts to reduce overall carbon emissions, including office area steam floor heating and the adoption of low energy consumption production equipment. A supplier park for battery and components is also planned for construction in the area.

In the meantime, Volkswagen Anhui is building its local talent base. A recruitment campaign at Hefei University is now underway, with the aim of welcoming 45 students with an engineering background into the team. The young talent will work at the Volkswagen Anhui MEB plant as on-site engineers after undertaking one-year of intensive training programs at Group facilities across Europe. The skills they gain in digitalization, whole-vehicle testing and certification, product management and electronics development, will be transferred directly to the local teams in China, with R&D experts from Germany also scheduled to visit the Anhui plant during the ramp-up phase for further on-site training.

Volkswagen Anhui looks forward to having around 500 staff on board by 2025, with a focus on R&D and engineering innovations. 

Combining R&D, quality assurance, pre-sales manufacturing and testing under one roof, Volkswagen Anhui will provide the Group with a faster time-to-market for new e-mobility products. Featuring models based on the MEB platform, incorporating Volkswagen’s DNA of quality, safety and lasting value, the Volkswagen Anhui product portfolio will target younger customers and provide fresh, distinctive designs with a strong emotional appeal.

The project leader introduces the MEB plant construction plan to Dr. Wöllenstein

The rendering of Volkswagen Anhui MEB plant technical center