Audi and SAIC Deepen China Partnership for New Electric Vehicles
Audi and SAIC are strengthening their partnership to jointly develop new electric vehicle models for the Chinese market. The collaboration aims to accelerate product launches and meet local customer needs.
Automaker Audi is intensifying its collaboration with Chinese partner SAIC Motor through a cooperation agreement focused on developing next-generation intelligent, connected vehicles (ICVs) specifically for the Chinese market. The partnership will utilize a new, China-specific platform named "Advanced Digitized Platform."
The cooperation will initially involve the development of three all-electric (BEV) models within the B and C segments. This initiative aims to expand Audi's product portfolio and capture new customer segments in China's rapidly growing electric vehicle market. The first model is expected to enter the market in 2025, with a time-to-market reduction of over 30 percent.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner stated that the goal is to combine Audi's premium experience with SAIC's innovation speed in China. "Through the partnership, we will significantly accelerate our local electrification strategy and deliver smart BEV products tailored to Chinese customers' needs," Döllner said.
Ralf Brandstätter, Volkswagen Group Board Member for China, noted that the collaboration supports the group's "in China for China" approach. SAIC Motor President Wang Xiaoqiu highlighted the synergy of combining Audi's product definition and R&D with SAIC's technological capabilities.