The Volkswagen Group is systematically strengthening its improvement experience ‘in China for China’. To drive this technique, Volkswagen is increasing its web site in Hefei in japanese China right into a state-of-the-art manufacturing, improvement, and innovation hub.
At its coronary heart is the Volkswagen China Expertise Firm (VCTC) – the Group’s largest improvement centre exterior Germany, with a transparent deal with clever, absolutely related autos. VCTC goals to scale back the time to marketplace for autos and elements by 30 % by means of environment friendly improvement processes and using cutting-edge applied sciences. Because of this, the Group will higher harness the expansion momentum of the Chinese language market.
The hub can be taking up key improvement duties, together with the event of an area electrical platform for the entry-level section. Derived from the Group’s modular electrical drive matrix (MEB), the brand new platform is meant to open up additional market segments in China. From 2026, the platform will type the idea for extra battery-powered autos (BEV) particularly tailor-made to the desires of Chinese language prospects. The event time of simply 36 months is round a 3rd shorter than the Volkswagen Group’s earlier timescales.
Ralf Brandstätter, Volkswagen AG Board Member for China, mentioned: “With our ‘in China, for China’ technique, we’re absolutely integrating ourselves into China’s industrial ecosystem. This allows us to customize our merchandise even sooner to fulfill the wants of Chinese language prospects. In a dynamic market surroundings, a excessive tempo of improvement is essential for competitiveness. The Volkswagen China Expertise Firm in Hefei is the central interface between all our three way partnership firms and our Chinese language companions, permitting us to make all choices on merchandise for China instantly in China and launch them onto the market rapidly. This boosts effectivity, will increase the pace of improvement, and optimises our value construction.”
China-specific electrical platform strengthens profitability and competitiveness by means of 100 per cent localisation
Beneath its ‘in China for China’ technique, Volkswagen is pursuing complete localisation in improvement and procurement for its first China-specific electrical platform. China-specific options for the battery, electrical drive and electrical motor will likely be used for the e-platform, making certain high-cost effectivity and speedy market readiness. The Group’s product portfolio in China, which is being expanded in the direction of the mid-range by means of the cooperation with the Chinese language producer XPENG, can now even be supplemented within the entry-level section.
Mr Brandstätter added: “With the event of a China-specific platform for the entry-level section, we’re taking up vital improvement duties in China for China. We are going to deliver the platform to market maturity in simply 36 months. Which means we’re lowering the event time by round a 3rd and may rapidly faucet into new buyer teams within the dynamic e-car market in China. That approach we utilise the total potential of the tech hub in Hefei.”
Optimisation of the organisational construction will increase the effectivity of collaboration
The state-of-the-art manufacturing, improvement and innovation hub in Hefei is a key pillar of the corporate’s ‘in China for China’ technique. The hub will permit the Group to deal with market-defining tendencies in China at an early stage and higher utilise the expansion momentum and modern energy of the Chinese language market. One other key pillar is the Volkswagen Anhui three way partnership, with a plant that can begin manufacturing within the coming weeks, in addition to the VW Anhui Element Firm, with its manufacturing facility for high-voltage battery techniques.
Erwin Gabardi, CEO Volkswagen Anhui, mentioned: “We’re systematically growing Hefei into the Volkswagen Group’s innovation hub in China. And we’re stepping up the tempo. We’ve got already demonstrated this with the development of the Volkswagen Anhui manufacturing unit in simply 18 months. We’re particularly utilising new applied sciences and the excellent infrastructure of the japanese Chinese language province of Anhui. Its capital Hefei has developed into the Silicon Valley of China. We can even profit from this modern energy.”
With VCTC, Volkswagen is bundling all improvement models and decision-making processes in Hefei for autos destined for the Chinese language market. This reduces interfaces between the completely different areas and will increase effectivity. Coordination between groups additionally takes place in the identical time zone and with a sole deal with the native market. As well as, the tech firm brings collectively automobile and element improvement and procurement proper from the beginning of the event course of. Simultaneous work saves extra time and permits an optimised value construction.
Additional synergies are being realised by means of the shut networking of improvement work with the three way partnership firms SAIC Volkswagen, FAW-Volkswagen and Volkswagen Anhui in addition to with Gotion (battery) and the Chinese language producer XPENG. The companions Horizon Robotics (autonomous driving), ARK (consumer expertise) and Thundersoft (infotainment) are additionally concerned in shut cooperation with CARIAD, Volkswagen’s software program unit.
Excessive localisation price and early involvement of suppliers create value advantages
VCTC additionally integrates state-of-the-art applied sciences from native suppliers within the early product improvement section to be able to profit much more from the modern energy of the market. A 450,000 sq. metre provider park is being in-built Hefei for this goal. Round 1,100 native suppliers present each {hardware} and software program, enabling state-of-the-art applied sciences and software ideas to be built-in into new merchandise at an early stage. The localisation price is to be progressively elevated as much as 100 per cent. This additionally applies to the standard testing of provider components, which is able to create additional value advantages.
1,200 specialists are at the moment working at VCTC in Hefei. Round 3,000 are anticipated to be working there by the tip of subsequent 12 months. Their work is concentrated on three clear objectives: Excessive improvement pace, nice value effectivity, whereas on the identical time strengthening Volkswagen’s requirements of high quality and security by means of numerous measures together with using state-of-the-art applied sciences.
World debut: electrical automobile take a look at shortens take a look at section for autos from three months to at least one
At VCTC, the testing section for electrical autos in sure scopes could be diminished from three months to at least one based mostly on improvement assessments in a so-called E-4 poster system. By means of this technique, for the primary time, a automobile could be subjected to the very best masses in an in-house endurance take a look at with an energetic battery. It might probably additionally simulate a whole automobile life cycle, together with charging and discharging the battery. It is a world debut within the automotive business as till now such assessments had been solely potential on particular open-air circuits. It ensures most security and sturdiness for the client whereas requiring much less time.
VCTC can be utilizing digital actuality (VR) for its ultra-modern take a look at and simulation infrastructure. VR expertise is used from the earliest phases of the design course of to determine potential enhancements to the automobile physique, controls and ergonomics even earlier than the primary prototypes are created. This protects expensive remodeling within the design section and likewise ensures consolation and high quality for the client.
Manufacturing processes in manufacturing considerably accelerated by means of using modern applied sciences
The manufacturing processes on the Volkswagen Anhui plant are additionally being considerably accelerated. This contains using laser expertise and laptop tomography to analyse the complete automobile physique or particular person vendor components for high quality, security, and sturdiness in only a few minutes. Detailed and time-consuming analyses are not needed, with out compromising on high quality.
Extra pace in manufacturing and improvement, excessive technical localisation, and constant buyer orientation are the important thing for Volkswagen Group China to play a number one position within the new period of clever related autos (ICV) as a part of the ‘in China for China’ technique.
Nov 28, 2023