Audi FAW NEV Company, a joint venture between Audi and its long-standing partner FAW, has commenced production of all-electric Audi models at its new state-of-the-art plant in Changchun, China. The facility marks Audi’s first site in China dedicated exclusively to electric vehicles based on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE), beginning with the Q6L e-tron and Q6L Sportback e-tron. A China-specific variant of the Audi A6 e-tron will follow.
Gernot Döllner, CEO of AUDI AG, described the milestone as a major step forward in Audi’s electrification strategy, reaffirming the brand’s commitment to China’s growing market. The Q6L e-tron, tailored specifically for Chinese customers, features an extended wheelbase and advanced digital innovations.
The Changchun facility, designed with sustainability and innovation in mind, integrates advanced automation technologies, including over 800 robots and intelligent logistics systems. Digital twinning and IT solutions, such as SAP S/4HANA, optimize manufacturing processes, enabling efficient, fully digitalized operations. The site also prioritizes sustainability, aligning with Audi’s global ‘Mission:Zero’ program. Production is powered entirely by green energy, utilizing solar panels, thermal energy, and biomass-derived gas, while advanced recycling systems handle waste and wastewater.
Audi has focused on localizing its supply chain, with 50% of suppliers located within 30 kilometers of the plant, ensuring efficient operations and achieving a localization rate of approximately 90%. Additionally, the Changchun site promotes biodiversity, featuring wetlands, native plant landscaping, and artificial habitats for wildlife, including 500,000 bees across ten beehives.
The plant’s innovative approach extends to exploring humanoid robotics for production through a Memorandum of Understanding with UBTECH Robotics and Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics.
Audi FAW NEV Company’s new facility, with an annual capacity exceeding 150,000 vehicles, represents a core element of Audi’s ‘in China, for China’ strategy. As China’s electrification momentum grows, Audi is expanding its locally tailored electric portfolio in collaboration with FAW and SAIC, reinforcing its focus on electrification, sustainability, and digitalization in the world’s largest EV market.
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