VW to Sell 900K Cars in China in 2007; Targeting 1M in 2008

15 October 2007

Boosted by a 30.2% increase in January-September sales, VW is tracking to sell 900,000 vehicles in China this year. Sales in the first nine months reached 684,786 units, 13,000 of which were imported.

In 2006, VW and its two Chinese joint ventures sold 711,000 vehicles, up 24.3% from 2005. VW’s sales target for 2007 was 800,000 units.

Handelsblatt reported that Volkswagen will raise its 2008 target for China to more than one million vehicles and is looking for new production sites in the country. Winfried Vahland, the head of VW’s China operations, said that the company will need the new capacity by 2010 at the latest.

In April 2007, Volkswagen announced new environmental goals for China that include a reduction in fuel consumption and emissions of more than 20% for models built at the plants operated by the two joint ventures—FAW-Volkswagen and Shanghai Volkswagen—by 2010. (Earlier post.)