VW Group China promotes sustainable vision

Vehicle manufacturing group looks to redefine the future of mobility showcasing latest models at international import expo

Volkswagen Group China is showcasing its vision for sustainable mobility with its Audi, Porsche and namesake Volkswagen brand as well as Mobility Asia, a subsidiary for smart mobility solutions, at the second China International Import Expo which got underway in Shanghai on Tuesday.

The automaker is presenting a lineup of six electrified models, enhanced R&D capabilities and smart mobility ecosystem initiatives as part of its efforts to drive a new era of sustainable mobility in China, which the German automaker recognizes as its second home country.

With all these efforts, Volkswagen Group China is also committing to play a major part in the Group-wide goal of becoming net carbon-neutral by 2050.

"We have electrified the CIIE, underlining our e-mobility efforts in China. By the end of 2019, we plan to offer 14 new energy vehicle models - with six of them already displayed here," said Stephan Woellenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Group China.

"Meanwhile, through the group's enhanced R&D capabilities and strengthened smart mobility eco-systems, we continue to increase our efforts in supporting China's shift to a more sustainable future. By 2050, we strive to be fully net carbon neutral."

Volkswagen Group China's "goTOzero" initiative is paving the way to reach this carbon-neutral goal.

According to the initiative, by 2025, electric models will represent up to 35 percent of its product portfolio and CO2 emissions from the cars will be reduced by 30 percent over their life cycle compared to 2015.

Also by 2025, its Chinese factories will produce 30 percent less waste, use 30 percent less energy and water by vehicle, and will emit 30 percent less CO2 overall compared to 2015.

As part of the effort to turn the vision into reality, the group is enhancing its R&D power by bringing together more than 4,500 professionals and combining competencies from Audi and Volkswagen brand teams to achieve greater productivity, tailor-made market solutions, brand-specific experiences for customers and a reduced time to market.

Strategically, the group's R&D team in China will focus on five fields: automated driving and intelligent connected vehicles, fuel efficiency in next-generation combustion engines, new energy efficiency and safety, connectivity and digitalization as well as innovation and design.

To further support this goal, Mobility Asia, a fully-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Group China, is working hard to provide a connected lifestyle, enhancing every moment of customers' mobility experience through synergies of mobility infrastructure, vehicles and services.

With advanced technologies such as the Mobility AI assistant and smart location-based services, Mobility Asia is redefining the understanding of what mobility will be in the future.

By connecting smart mobility with other smart services, it provides users with connected mobility solutions, making sustainable mobility more convenient, smooth and realistic, based on real data from local environments.

At this year's expo, Mobility Asia is showcasing for the first time its thoroughly human-oriented future mobility solutions, illustrating scenarios including smart dating, smart travel, smart community and smart education.

Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche are presenting a series of next-generation electric cars and connected technologies.

Audi is showcasing its commitment of being "consistently electric" - as one of four strategic efforts toward the future mobility of the Four Rings.

The Audi e-tron is the first fully electric model and presents the brand's first step in e-mobility. Together with FAW-Volkswagen, Audi will have launched nine new energy models in China by 2021.

Besides fully electric vehicles, Audi is further expanding its portfolio of hybrid models. The company said it will electrify all segments by 2025.

Striving toward the new era of mobility, electrification is Audi's strategic vision of unleashing the beauty of sustainable mobility.

Volkswagen brand will be setting the pace for the electric transformation process of the group. Being the "people's car", the brand has defined its purpose for the years to come as being on the way to emission-free mobility for all.

This purpose comes with a wide range of products. Volkswagen said its current portfolio of five new energy versions of existing models will grow to 10 by the end of 2020.

From 2020, another 10 models, based on the electric-only MEB platform, will follow within three years.

The first production model for China will be the ID. Chujian - an electric SUV.

The ID. 3 model on display at the expo will follow soon, and has already been confirmed for production at SAIC Volkswagen's new MEB factory in Anting, Shanghai.

Porsche is showcasing a suite of innovative new models, including its first fully electric sports car, the Taycan; three-times Le Mans winner, the 919 Hybrid; and the Cayenne E-Hybrid, which all tie in with the brand's mantra, "Soul, Electrified."

The electric powertrain is deeply embedded in Porsche's DNA, with the company's founder - Ferdinand Porsche - creating the world's first functionally operational fully hybrid vehicle more than a century ago.

The company said half of all Porsche's sales by 2025 will be from electrically or partially electrically driven plug-in hybrid models.

lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/06/2019 page19)