On November 10th, Volkswagen's Gold Label brand and the Zhong08 model were officially unveiled in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's new car announcement. As a core product of Volkswagen Group's strategy in China, this full-time interconnected pure electric full-size SUV will be put into production at Volkswagen's Anhui factory in 2026. Its technical highlights include original design language, dual chamber air suspension system, L2++level intelligent driving assistance, CEA electronic and electrical architecture, and 800V ultra-high pressure fast charging technology, marking the first time that Volkswagen has realized mass production application of intelligent cockpit and auto drive system developed locally in China.

According to Volkswagen Group's plan, more than 30 pure electric vehicle models will be launched in the Chinese market by 2030. Among them, Zhong08 will form a strategic synergy with Volkswagen Xiaopeng to jointly develop car models and improve the product matrix of the Gold Label brand. Behind this layout is a deep strategic adjustment being carried out by Volkswagen Anhui. On November 11th, Volkswagen's official website announced that former Jaguar Land Rover China executive Liu Zhanshu would be appointed as the Chief Operating Officer of Volkswagen Anhui Sales Company (DSSO) to reserve core management strength for the upcoming product explosion period.

Liu Zhanshu has nearly 20 years of experience in the automotive industry. Prior to taking office, he served as Executive Vice President of Jaguar Land Rover (China), leading product lifecycle management, covering strategic planning, marketing, product launch, and user insights. His career spans across high-end brands such as FAW Volkswagen Audi, SAIC GM Buick, Jike, and Lantu, accumulating rich practical experience in brand building, market promotion, product definition, and user operation. Stefan Timmermann, CEO of Volkswagen Anhui, stated that Mr. Liu Zhanshu's global perspective and local experience will provide crucial support for us to continue expanding our ID. UNYX product line and preparing for the launch of new models, promoting DSSO to achieve operational excellence and sustainable development. This personnel appointment not only deepens Volkswagen's localization strategy in China, but also lays the organizational foundation for the upcoming intensive product launch period.

The rapid development confidence of Volkswagen Anhui comes from Volkswagen Group's strategic increase in the Chinese market. At the CIIE, which opened on November 5th, Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche jointly showcased eight models equipped with the latest technology, with the CEA architecture as the core technology carrier. The three concept cars of the Volkswagen brand are particularly eye-catching: the first pure electric sedan ID. AURA developed based on the local CMP platform, which directly integrates CEA architecture and L2++level driving assistance system, and is planned to be mass-produced in 2026; The ID. ERA extended range SUV and ID. EVO pure electric SUV have respectively verified the adaptability of the CEA architecture in different power forms and intelligent scenarios through the Chinese AI large model assistant, 700 kilometer range, and 800V fast charging technology.

Han Sanchu, executive vice president of Volkswagen Group (China) and CEO of CARIAD China, revealed the strategic logic of CEA architecture at the Expo: Volkswagen has achieved great success in the era of hardware platform based on MQB architecture, and now we will replicate this model in the era of software defined cars. He emphasized that this kind of replication is not a simple technology transfer, but a system reconstruction tailored to the needs of intelligent vehicles. Data shows that the EQC model developed by Anhui Volkswagen based on the CEA architecture only takes 18 months from project approval to mass production, which is 40% shorter than the traditional cycle. According to the plan, 4-6 models will be equipped with CEA architecture in 2026, and expanded to 10 models in 2027. This efficient landing pace is consistent with the MQB support for Volkswagen's global expansion that year.

On the first day of the Expo, Volkswagen China announced that its joint venture with Horizon, CARIZON, has made new progress: the company will independently design and develop system level computing solutions in China to provide core support for Volkswagen's advanced driving assistance and auto drive system. This cooperation signifies that Volkswagen will advance the core of intelligent driving research and development to China, and build an independent and controllable research and development system. Han Sanchu pointed out that China has become an innovative testing ground for global intelligent vehicle technology, and the landing of cutting-edge technologies must be deeply integrated into the Chinese ecosystem.

Faced with the rapid iteration of Chinese enterprises in the fields of intelligent cockpit and autonomous driving, the software system of traditional car companies is facing structural challenges. The public's response strategy is to deepen its presence in China, as part of China's strategy, with the restructuring of the research and development system as a breakthrough point. Horizon, as a key partner, has the advantage of software and hardware collaborative development and large-scale production capabilities. The newly established Core Cheng not only undertakes system optimization tasks, but also helps the public establish full stack research and development capabilities from chips to algorithms. In the field of software, Volkswagen is simultaneously promoting a dual route strategy: in 2023, it will invest $700 million in Xiaopeng Motors, becoming the first foreign-funded car company to enter the new forces in China through equity cooperation. This model of technology cooperation and capital binding not only acquires local technological resources but also maintains strategic flexibility.

From the perspective of market goals, Volkswagen's layout is clear and firm: about 30 new energy vehicle models will be launched by 2027, 30 pure electric vehicle models by 2030, and models equipped with CEA architecture and self-developed chips will be delivered from 2026 onwards. Behind these goals is Volkswagen's ambition to replicate the successful experience of MQB architecture - to support its market position in the era of intelligent vehicles through standardized platforms. On November 15th, Volkswagen China announced two important developments: firstly, expanding its cooperation with Horizon Robotics to System on Chip (SoC) research and development, with an investment of approximately $200 million; Secondly, the Porsche China R&D Center has officially opened in Shanghai, becoming the largest R&D base for the brand outside of its German headquarters. These two actions mark a new stage in Volkswagen's localization of research and development in China: shifting from technology introduction to joint innovation, and from market adaptation to ecological construction. At present, China's intelligent automobile industry has formed a competitive pattern of hardware standardization, software differentiation, and data assetization. The transformation path of Volkswagen shows that in order for foreign car companies to maintain competitiveness in the Chinese market, they must complete a paradigm shift from global technology localization to local innovation globalization. This transformation requires not only technological investment, but also a comprehensive restructuring of organizational structure, talent strategy, and ecological cooperation. The case of Volkswagen Anhui shows that only when multinational car companies transfer their R&D decision-making power, data control power, and ecological cooperation power to China can they truly achieve their strategic intentions in China. With the large-scale application of CEA architecture and the technological output of Core, Volkswagen is expected to rebuild its system advantages in the era of intelligent vehicles. However, the success or failure of this transformation will depend on whether it can truly integrate into the Chinese innovation ecosystem and complete the genetic mutation from the era of mechanical engineering to the era of software definition. This will be my last public appearance as the CEO of Porsche in China. In the future, I will devote more energy to the operation of other brands under the Volkswagen Group, and I will also fully support and trust the current management team of Porsche. On the day of the event, Volkswagen Group and Porsche's global leader Obomu flew to Shanghai to support the Porsche brand, and elegantly completed his closing ceremony as the CEO of Porsche through a wonderful speech. After completing Porsche's related activities and the CIIE itinerary, Obomu and members of the management team went to Hefei together. Volkswagen Anhui, as the third joint venture established by Volkswagen Group in China, will shoulder the key task of developing and producing intelligent connected vehicles. Obomu once said, "China is leading the direction of future mobile travel transformation, covering multiple aspects such as electrification, digitization, and new luxury concepts. To cope with this profound transformation, it is difficult to accurately capture the dynamics of the local market through remote observation alone, and we must delve into it and root ourselves in development

The development of the public in China is in a fierce race against time. Speed, efficiency, and cost are all indispensable. It is reported that through the locally developed CMP platform and CEA electronic and electrical architecture, Volkswagen's development cycle has been significantly shortened to about 24 to 30 months. At the same time, the cost has been reduced by 40% compared to global platforms, and we are currently moving towards the goal of reducing it by 50%. It is worth noting that the lithium iron phosphate battery jointly developed by Volkswagen and Guoxuan High tech, as well as the ADAS function jointly developed with Horizon Robotics, have become important pillars for Volkswagen to reduce costs. Recently, Guoxuan High Tech's lithium iron phosphate battery has been confirmed to be installed on Volkswagen's next electric vehicle model in Anhui to enhance its cost competitiveness. Undoubtedly, Volkswagen Anhui has become an innovation highland and core base for Volkswagen's global electric intelligent transformation. Through localized research and development, supply chain integration, and the launch of products tailored to market demand, Volkswagen will further consolidate its position in the Chinese electric vehicle market and provide strong support for the global electrification strategy. This strategic layout is of crucial importance for Volkswagen's future competitiveness in the Chinese and even global markets.