Audi is contemplating shopping for a platform from a competitor for the primary time in China to shorten the event time of its fashions, in accordance with German media outlet Automobilwoche.
(Picture credit score: CnEVPost)
Audi is in search of exterior assist to shorten the event time of its fashions in China, the place the Volkswagen subsidiary is in talks with opponents, in accordance with a report yesterday within the German media outlet Automobilwoche.
Audi is now contemplating shopping for a platform from a competitor for the primary time in China, the report mentioned, including that the corporate will put together a corresponding template ought to be ready for a rare assembly of the supervisory board this week, presumably on July 11.
Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume has already authorized the mission, and Audi is in talks with producers, the report mentioned, citing sources.
Audi urgently wants an electrical platform, as its personal developments, such because the Trinity mission, have been severely delayed, the report famous.
The report would not point out any additional particulars, and it displays the awkward scenario Audi faces in China’s fast-growing electrical car (EV) market.
Within the first half of the 12 months, retail gross sales of passenger new power automobiles (NEVs) in China stood at about 3.09 million models, contributing 32 p.c of all passenger automotive gross sales of 9.53 million models, in accordance with information launched earlier as we speak by the China Passenger Automotive Affiliation (CPCA).
Regardless of being one of many top-selling premium manufacturers in China, Audi has by no means made it into any of the CPCA’s rankings for EV gross sales.
Within the January-Could interval, BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) was No. 1 in China’s NEV market with 923,343 models offered, and Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) was No. 2 with 219,893 models, in accordance with a retail gross sales rating launched by the CPCA final month. Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) was No. 6 with 106,542 models, and Nio (NYSE: NIO) was No. 10 with 43,854 models.
Final November, a picture circulating on Weibo confirmed an Audi dealership inserting a big billboard on its retailer with textual content that mentioned Audi additionally has pure electrical fashions.
The textual content demonstrated the truth that Chinese language customers usually have low acceptance of Audi’s EV fashions, which sparked quite a lot of dialogue on the time.
In an interview with Reuters final month, Audi CEO Markus Duesmann mentioned the corporate needed to speed up the event of latest fashions to fulfill surging demand for EVs globally, particularly in China.
Audi wants new, shorter manufacturing cycles within the areas of connectivity and software program, he mentioned. “And we’re additionally wanting extra intensively at how that is executed in China.”
Over time, Audi’s growth cycle can be nearer to 30 months, in contrast with a present time of extra like 48 months, he mentioned.
Audi tells Chinese language customers: We even have EV choices!