Volkswagen Commences Construction Of EV-Only Factory In China

Volkswagen has announced it is commencing construction of their first factory specifically designed for the MEB electric-only platform in Shanghai.

Construction of SAIC Volkswagen’s new manufacturing plant is expected to finish in 2020, with a VW-branded electric SUV being the first model scheduled to roll out of the production line.

The new factory is located in Anting, Shanghai and will be equipped with over 1,400 Industry 4.0-standard robots, as well as technologies like AI, AR and VR. Covering 6,565 square feet (610,000 sq. meters), the plant will include areas such as pressing equipment, battery assembly workshops, a proving road and more.

VW says that the planned annual capacity of the new EV-only factory will be 300,000 vehicles, including new all-electric models for SAIC Volkswagen, including medium and large SUVs, as well as battery packs.

“Through Volkswagen’s MEB platform, we will be able to easily produce state-of-the-art electric vehicles for our Chinese customers on a high scale,” said Herbert Diess, VW Group’s Chairman. “The Volkswagen Group, its brands and their Chinese joint venture partners focus consistently on sustainable mobility and push the transformation of the automotive industry in China and worldwide. In this way, we emphasize the importance of the Chinese market for the Volkswagen Group.”

Last June, VW opened a second FAW-Volkswagen factory in Foshan, marking another significant milestone for the company’s electrification strategy in China. The Foshan facility is currently building VW and Audi models based on the MQB platform, but starting from 2020 it will switch to MEB-based electric vehicles and MEB-compatible battery packs.