Volkswagen revealed on Tuesday that it is exploring new export opportunities for vehicles designed and manufactured in China, aiming to boost its global presence.
Following the recent shipments of China-produced petrol sedans to the Middle East, the company is now assessing potential markets in Southeast Asia and Central Asia.
Thomas Ulbrich, Volkswagen Group’s China chief technology officer, explained that the initiative is being carried out in close coordination with the company’s German headquarters to tailor the right mix of vehicles for each market.
He noted that Volkswagen’s facilities in China are capable of producing both traditional combustion-engine cars and electric vehicles, providing the automaker with versatility as it considers new export opportunities.
Volkswagen will not export these China-produced models to Europe. The company affirmed that the vehicles are built with a different electronic architecture and software system compared to those intended for the European market, rendering them incompatible with the region.
The expansion efforts are part of Volkswagen’s wider ‘In China for China’ strategy, which seeks to reclaim market share by accelerating decision-making and product development within China. The company has poured billions of euros into its production and innovation center in Hefei to better compete with local rivals.
This approach also positions Volkswagen to respond to the growing global presence of Chinese automakers, who are increasingly looking abroad to balance fierce domestic competition and surplus production capacity.
Volkswagen revealed that it has achieved a significant milestone by receiving approval to independently develop new vehicle platforms and core technologies in China, without relying on its German headquarters. The company highlighted that manufacturing a new electric vehicle platform in China can be up to 50% cheaper due to the large network of suppliers and access to advanced technologies.
Ulbrich also mentioned that vehicles using Volkswagen’s China-developed electronic architecture will be sold internationally, though he did not provide details on specific markets or timing.
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