Global auto giants look to China for future vision

Once solely a growing market, domestic innovation has turned the car industry on its head

By Li Fusheng | China Daily | Updated: 2025-06-09 07:08
Share
Share - WeChat
Workers and robotic arms operate at the production line of Volkswagen Anhui, the carmaker's first electric vehicle joint venture in China, in Hefei, Anhui province, on May 21. [Photo provided to CHINA DAILY]

At the Auto Shanghai show in April, an executive of Volkswagen — one of the world's biggest auto manufacturers — made a frank admission that the German giant had misfired on its country strategy for China.

"To be very honest, we didn't have the right product strategy or the right approach to drive the business in China," Oliver Blume, chairman of the board of management of the Volkswagen Group, told China Daily.

He was referring to the situation when the same event was held two years ago.

"But at this auto show, we're not just talking about strategy or plans on paper — we're showcasing real results, and that makes me very proud of what the teams have accomplished," said Blume.

The German automaker's long and profitable association with China began in October 1984 when it inked a deal with the Shanghai Automobile & Tractor Company to begin a joint venture, Shanghai Volkswagen. Now known as SAIC Volkswagen, it is the oldest extant automotive partnership in China.

Workers and robotic arms operate at the production line of Volkswagen Anhui, the carmaker's first electric vehicle joint venture in China, in Hefei, Anhui province, on May 21. [Photo provided to CHINA DAILY]

Despite the Germans' initial concerns that the fledgling China operation could not produce even "one Volkswagen-standard car" the first model of the joint venture, the Santana, rolled off the assembly line in late 1985.

German technology and management, coupled with China's reform and opening-up and local workers' diligence, was the right formula for success. The Santana was a triumph, and for more than 30 years Volkswagen — joined by other foreign automakers such as Peugeot, Fiat, Toyota and Hyundai — rode on the path of prosperity created by China's ongoing development and modernization.

By 2009, China had become the world's largest vehicle market, and non-Chinese brands accounted for 56 percent of total vehicle sales, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

But, the peak for overseas auto manufacturers in China was followed by a decline as the industry entered the era of NEVs.

Volkswagen sales tumbled from 3.85 million units in 2020 to 2.92 million units in 2024. In the meantime, Chinese automaker BYD's sales skyrocketed from 427,000 units in 2020 to 4.27 million units in 2024.

Volkswagen wasn't alone. South Korean automaker Hyundai, the world's third-largest carmaker, delivered 507,000 units in China in 2020, but last year its sales shrank to 157,000 units.

General Motors, the No 1 carmaker in the United States, saw its sales in China plunge from 2.9 million units to 1.83 million units over the same period.

1 2 3 4 Next   >>|
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
主站蜘蛛池模板: 一本大道久久东京热无码AV| 免费一级国产生活片| av在线亚洲男人的天堂| 日韩亚洲第一页| 亚洲男女性高爱潮网站| 美女张开腿黄网站免费| 国产换爱交换乱理伦片| 99久久精品国产片久人| 成年午夜性视频| 久久综合狠狠综合久久综合88| 永久在线观看www免费视频| 和搜子居的日子2中文版| 国产在线播放你懂的| 国色天香精品一卡2卡3卡| 两根硕大一起挤进小h| 日韩人妻无码精品专区| 亚洲国产精品激情在线观看| 精品久久久BBBB人妻| 国产免费黄色片| jizz性欧美2| 国模吧一区二区三区精品视频| 东北大坑第二部txt| 日本道精品一区二区三区| 亚洲人成网站免费播放| 波多野结衣电影thepemo| 午夜视频在线观看按摩女| 野花社区视频www| 国产看午夜精品理论片| 99j久久精品久久久久久| 强奷乱码中文字幕| 久久久久久人妻一区精品| 最近在线中文字幕电影资源| 亚洲欧美一区二区三区电影 | 成在线人免费无码高潮喷水| 久久这里只精品| 欧美成人午夜视频| 人禽无码视频在线观看| 美女扒开尿口让男人捅| 国产剧情精品在线观看| 国产极品粉嫩交性大片| 国产精品亚洲欧美一级久久精品 |