FAW-Volkswagen Audi shows off upgraded gasoline and electric vehicles

With its compelling product portfolio, FAW-Volkswagen Audi is demonstrating its strength in both fuel and electric vehicles at the ongoing 19th Shanghai auto show. It aims to promote the Audi brand to meet the diversified needs of users and lead the innovative development of the premium car market.

At the 19th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, from April 19-28, the Sino-German joint venture's Audi division is making the global debut of two models: the All New Audi Q5L and the concept model of a new C-segment electric vehicle.

As a market benchmark for premium sport utility vehicles, the All New Audi Q5L has made significant upgrades in multiple aspects including design, space, technology and driving and control.

The new C-segment electric vehicle will be produced on Audi's PPE platform, in hopes of educating customers with Audi's concept of next-generation electric mobility.

In addition, notable models from Audi such as the RS Q8, the R8 Coupe, the A4 allroad, the A6L and the Q3 are under the spotlight at the 2021 Shanghai auto show. The models allow visitors to learn about the joint venture's determination to help the Audi brand continue to achieve steady development, especially in the Chinese market.

Relying on Audi's time-honored system strength, the premium marque is poised to provide users with high-end electric mobility experiences with both premium quality and forward-looking technology.

To ensure that users can have a driving experience comparable to or better than fuel vehicles, Audi will invest more than 35 billion euros ($41.85 billion) in the next five years, of which 17 billion euros will be spent on the research and development of future technologies, 10 billion euros on the R&D of electric vehicles and 5 billion euros on the R&D of hybrid technologies.

Of that, 700 million yuan ($107.19 million) will be invested in FAW-Volkswagen's battery plant in Changchun, capital of Northeast China's Jilin province.

This year, FAW-Volkswagen Audi will launch five new electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. By 2022, it will have 10 electric models, four of which will be China-made.

Earlier this month, the joint venture launched its electric SUV models, the Audi e-tron and the Audi etron Sportback, in Sanya, South China's Hainan province, opening a new chapter of Audi's offensive in the premium electric vehicle market.

"FAW-Volkswagen Audi completes the dimensional ascension and redefinition of the premium electric vehicle. The Audi e-tron, built based on the concept, no longer belongs to the electric era of premium vehicles but a premium vehicle in the electric era," said Pan Zhanfu, member of the board of directors, secretary of the Party committee and president of FAW-Volkswagen.

Equipped with a 96.7-kilowatt-hour battery, the Audi e-tron can travel up to 500 kilometers on a single charge.

The Audi e-tron Sportback has a maximum output power of 300 kW and a top torque of 664 newton meters, and can accelerate from 0-100 km per hour in 5.7 seconds.

By 2025, NEVs will account for 25 percent of FAW-Volkswagen's total production, according to the joint venture.

The carmaker's MEB smart plant in Foshan, South China's Guangdong province is currently in operation. The plant has a total annual production capacity exceeding 600,000 vehicles and is expected to achieve a capacity of 770,000 vehicles by 2024.

From January to March this year, FAW-Volkswagen Audi delivered a total of 207,196 new cars, up 83.3 percent from the same period last year.

Multiple models showed strong market competitiveness during the same period, including the Audi Q2L, the Audi Q5L, the Audi A4L and the Audi A6L.

FAW-Volkswagen delivered 11,619 units of the Audi Q2L in the first quarter of 2021, an increase of 33 percent year-on-year; 41,316 units of the Audi Q5L, up 90 percent year-onyear; 44,934 units of the Audi A4L, up 82 percent year-on-year; and 46,266 units of the Audi A6L, up 59 percent year-on-year.