Shanghai (ZXZC)- SAIC Volkswagen, a joint venture between Volkswagen Group and SAIC Motor, launched on November 8 an all-new and BEV-focused manufacturing plant in Anting, Shanghai, only one year after the groundbreaking.

With a planned capacity of 300,000 vehicles per year, the new plant is particularly built for the production of all-electric vehicles based on Volkswagen's MEB (Modular Electric Drive Matrix) platform. It is also the group's first plant of this kind worldwide. The beginning of series production of MEB-based BEVs in Anting is scheduled for October 2020, said the German auto giant.

On the same day, a first China-specific all-electric Volkswagen ID. series model rolled off the production line at the newly-launched plant, setting a milestone in Volkswagen Group China's e-mobility strategy. The significant model has a very romantic Chinese name “Chujian”, meaning “first encounter”.

“Together with the start of MEB production, we will launch the Volkswagen ID. family in China as well, a brand-new generation of fully electric and connected vehicles,” said Dr. Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG.

The trial production in Anting starts with the aforesaid “Chujian” ID. model. In the future, the plant will manufacture MEB-based BEV models under various brands of Volkswagen Group. Local production in China is set to be increased to 15 MEB models from different brands by 2025, said Volkswagen.

Moreover, Volkswagen's joint venture with FAW Group is speeding up the revamp and upgrade at Foshan base to address BEV production, and plans to add another 300,000-unit annual capacity to Volkswagen's China all-electric vehicle manufacture.

Volkswagen Group projects a total volume of 22 million BEVs worldwide by 2028, of which more than 50% of that will be from China, according to Dr. Herbert Diess, highlighting the country's importance to its global electrification strategy (photo source: Volkwagen).