Volkswagen Group has started series production of the ID.UNYX 08 electric SUV in Hefei, China, developed jointly with Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer Xpeng.
Production is taking place at Volkswagen Anhui’s facility in Hefei, eastern China.
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The ID.UNYX 08 marks a step in Volkswagen’s “In China, for China” strategy and is the company’s first fully connected, all-electric full-size SUV, built specifically for the Chinese market.
Volkswagen Group China chairman and CEO Ralf Brandstätter said: “Our ´In China, for China` strategy is delivering results. With the ID.UNYX 08, we are launching the Group’s largest electric vehicle offensive in China.
“On average, the Volkswagen Group is launching one new electric car every two weeks this year. The car is fully tailored to Chinese customer needs, equipped with cutting-edge technology, and was developed locally in less than two years.”
The vehicle incorporates locally developed technologies, including 800-volt ultra-fast charging, Level 2 advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) capabilities and over-the-air (OTA) software update functions.
Volkswagen plans to introduce the ID.UNYX 08 to the market in the first half of the year.
The launch forms part of Volkswagen Group’s broader electric vehicle expansion in China.
The company aims to introduce 20 locally developed new energy vehicle (NEV) models in the country this year.
Volkswagen Group established a long-term partnership with Xpeng in 2023 to collaborate on product development and technological innovation.
The cooperation is expected to produce two jointly developed all-electric vehicles, with the second Volkswagen model scheduled to debut and reach the market by this year.
Xpeng’s development unit VCTC served as the development partner for the models created under the collaboration, managing product design definition, technical validation, quality standards and driving dynamics tuning.
In addition, VCTC worked with Volkswagen Group’s software unit CARIAD China and Xpeng to develop the China Electronic Architecture (CEA), the group’s first locally engineered zonal electrical and electronic architecture.
The platform is designed to support both new energy vehicles and fuel-powered vehicles for the domestic market, with the first model based on the architecture planned for launch this year.
Volkswagen Group has said it plans to introduce 50 new NEV models in China by 2030 as it expands its electrification strategy and develops locally designed intelligent connected vehicle technologies.
