JAC Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. held a groundbreaking ceremony for the New Energy Passenger Vehicle Project R&D Center located in Hefei, Anhui Province. The ceremony came two weeks after a strategic agreement was signed by Volkswagen Group China, JAC and SEAT to advance e-mobility in China (earlier post).

Today’s groundbreaking for the R&D center is another breakthrough in the history of JAC Volkswagen. Electrification and making cars smart are the key directions for the transformation that is happening in the automotive industry. With the strong support of the shareholders and all the sectors, the company is seizing the opportunity to pursue innovation-driven development in its new energy vehicle offensive, and move towards the future of sustainable mobility.

—JAC Volkswagen President Li Ming

The R&D center, located in the Hefei Economic and Technology Development Zone, will focus on key areas such as electrification, connectivity and autonomous driving. All parties will leverage their investment, knowledge and technology strengths to ensure the R&D centre fulfills its goals.

E-mobility along with digitalisation, connectivity and autonomous driving are the future of the mobility industry, and China has established itself as a major driver of this transformation. The construction of the R&D center is an important cornerstone for the development of JAC Volkswagen in China’s new energy vehicle industry.

This is part of the effort made by Volkswagen Group China and its joint ventures in the e-mobility field, which will see the launch of 30 new energy vehicle models in the next two years, half of which will be produced in China. The Group aims to deliver around 400,000 New Energy Vehicles in China in 2020, and is preparing to deliver around 1.5 million in 2025.