TOPIC

/ company

Volkswagen

Volkswagen Group is the largest carmaker in Europe, selling vehicles under the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, Škoda and Volkswagen marques. It also sells Ducati motorcycles and commercial vehicles under the MAN and Scania marques. The VW Beetle was its first bestselling model, and the Golf, launched after it stopped production of the Beetle, has become the third best-selling car of all time.

Chairman / President

Hans Dieter Pötsch

CEO / Managing Director

Oliver Blume

CFO / Finance Director

Arno Antlitz

Industry

Automotive

Website

volkswagen.com

Headquarters address

Volkswagen AG, Berliner Ring 2, 38440 Wolfsburg, Germany

Stock Code

FWB:VOW3

Year founded

1937

The BYD Explorer vessel docks at Yantai port in eastern China’s Shandong province as it awaits the loading of Chinese electric vehicles for export overseas. Photo: AFP

US-China trade war

Has Trump ceded EV market to China with latest string of policy shifts?

Analysts say rolling back regulations pushes US further towards petrol cars, discourages EV innovation, and gives China competitive edge.

19 Feb 2026 - 3:58AMvideocam

China-EU relations

Stung by Trump’s policies, German multinationals cautiously pivot towards China

6 Feb 2026 - 5:22PMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

Brazil scraps EV tariff break for Chinese carmaker BYD amid pressure from rivals

5 Feb 2026 - 3:25PMvideocam

Electric & new energy vehicles

Major foreign carmakers set to stage a comeback in China this year: analysts

Foreign carmakers ‘will fight back because they will have the same products’ as their Chinese rivals, consultancy head Denis Depoux says.

23 Jan 2026 - 10:00AM

Volkswagen workers seen at an assembly line in the German carmaker’s plant in Qingdao, in eastern Shandong province, on December 23, 2025. Photo: AFP

China-EU relations

China-EU deal on EVs marks rare agreement in frosty relations

The EU will waive tariffs on China-made battery electric vehicles if carmakers set a minimum price that offsets the effect of subsidies.

13 Jan 2026 - 5:00PM

China-EU relations

Opinion | EU-China ties are stuck between interdependence and rivalry

To break the pattern of trade escalations with Beijing, Brussels must move beyond tariffs and invest in its own competitiveness.

13 Jan 2026 - 5:57PMvideocam

China trade

As Germany’s trade deficit with China nears new high, analysts warn of backlash

The widening gap, fuelled by a localisation push in China and fierce EV competition, is fuelling fears of political upheaval and rising protectionist sentiment in Berlin.

23 Dec 2025 - 4:00PM

Factory workers assemble cars at a Volkswagen plant in Qingdao, in China’s eastern Shandong province, last week. Photo: AFP

China-EU relations

Discriminatory and egregious: China blasts EU’s subsidy crackdown

Commerce authorities vow to defend firms such as Nuctech and CRRC, while Beijing continues talks with Brussels over EV tariffs.

18 Dec 2025 - 9:30PMvideocam

European Union

Opinion | A complicated new EU-China showdown is quietly taking shape

For now, both sides still need each other and there is nowhere else to turn. But behind this reliance, irritation and paranoia are rising.

18 Dec 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

European Union

EU drops 2035 combustion engine ban in victory for its carmakers

Europe pivots to bolstering its crisis-hit auto sector in a major green policy retreat.

17 Dec 2025 - 2:08PM

Fumes emerge from the exhaust pipe of a car with a combustible engine in Berlin. Photo: AFP

Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng, Li Auto given approval to test ‘hands-off’ L3 cars amid slowing market

Deregulation to legalise L3 technology represents a leap forward in commercialising autonomous driving systems in China.

16 Dec 2025 - 7:45PM

A Li Auto vehicle draws crowds at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, April 25, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Automotive industry

Can Volkswagen regain its China market share with its US$3.5 billion bet?

Volkswagen, which once had 50 per cent of China’s vehicle market, has invested €3 billion in its largest R&D centre outside its home country in Hefei.

15 Dec 2025 - 4:31PM

Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng steps up ‘go global’ drive with Malaysian assembly hub for Southeast Asia

The Guangzhou-based company said it would partner with Malaysia’s EP Manufacturing to locally assemble intelligent EVs.

15 Dec 2025 - 5:00PM

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV battery giants wade into shipbuilding to bolster Beijing’s dominance

CATL and Gotion add momentum to China’s efforts to build new-energy vessels amid an accelerated decarbonisation drive.

14 Dec 2025 - 9:00AM

A vessel powered by CATL batteries. Photo: Handout

China-EU relations

China leans on German carmakers to help break Brussels tariff deadlock

Commerce vice-minister urges German industry leaders to leverage their clout to push the European Commission towards a compromise on the anti-subsidy probe.

8 Dec 2025 - 8:58PM

Labourers work on an assembly line at a factory in Chongqing, China, in May. Beijing has pressed German carmakers to help resolve disputes over the European Union’s anti-subsidy tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Photo: EPA-EFE

Electric & new energy vehicles

EU launches 1st formal review of Chinese EV tariffs after VW Anhui’s submission

Bloc’s acceptance of a narrow review process from a manufacturer may give others hope that tariffs could be reduced or removed.

4 Dec 2025 - 6:51PMvideocam

China manufacturing

Germany’s China playbook: if you can’t beat them, partner up

More than half of surveyed German firms plan deeper ties with local partners in China to match the rapid innovation cycles of domestic competitors, the German Chamber of Commerce has found.

2 Dec 2025 - 5:05PMvideocam

SCMP Highlights

China’s private defence firms; Beijing sets yuan fix: SCMP daily highlights

From a boon for Chinese private defence firms to a Beijing start-up grabbing Elon Musk’s attention, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

26 Nov 2025 - 9:15PM

While China’s state-owned defence conglomerates continue to dominate weapons development, private companies have increasingly entered the sector in recent years under the country’s military-civil fusion strategy. Photo: Handout

Electric & new energy vehicles

Volkswagen revs up designed-in-China approach to catch up in EV market

Carmaker says mainland operations can now design and validate new models without approvals from Germany, reducing development time and cost.

26 Nov 2025 - 9:54AM

China economy

Opinion | As China’s tech rises, companies must rethink their R&D strategy

Firms seeking to localise in China must see the country not just as a place to manufacture and sell, but as a co-creator and innovator.

21 Nov 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

Semiconductors

How Nexperia saga exposes Europe’s waning influence in US-China chip war

The dispute around the Dutch chipmaker shows the erosion of Europe’s geopolitical neutrality in the face of escalating US-China rivalry.

15 Nov 2025 - 11:00AM

Nexperia is caught in a geopolitical tussle between the Netherlands and China. Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

SCMP Highlights

Xpeng touts driverless cars, Volkswagen eyes making chips in China: 7 EV reads

From German auto firms scrambling to plug chip shortage to Xpeng touting driverless cars, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

12 Nov 2025 - 3:57PM

BYD cars sit in a lot in a port area of Wilhelmshaven, Germany, on October 25. Photo: dpa

Electric & new energy vehicles

Volkswagen bets on EV developed with Xpeng to regain ground in China

The ID Unyx 08 has received government approval to begin production and is expected to enter the market in 2026.

11 Nov 2025 - 3:00PM

China-EU relations

Nexperia chips have begun flowing to Europe again, auto suppliers say

Beijing has followed through on promises to ease export restrictions, but a final deal to decide the chip firm’s fate has yet to be agreed.

11 Nov 2025 - 9:53PMvideocam

Mainland China

China’s importers sign record US$83.5 billion in deals at trade expo

Deal value at the just-ended import fair rises 4.4 per cent from a year earlier, reflecting confidence in Chinese consumer spending.

10 Nov 2025 - 8:04PM

Visitors attend the 8th China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Friday. Photo: AFP

Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla and global carmakers race against Chinese EV rivals at expo

At CIIE, global brands like Tesla and Volkswagen are under pressure to win back market share from local competitors.

9 Nov 2025 - 7:36PM

A Tesla Cybercab displayed at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. Photo: EPA

China trade

Nexperia saga sees wary German auto firms scramble to mitigate chip shortage

Volkswagen, Aumovio and ZF among companies eyeing either exemptions, alternate sources or temporary cuts as China weighs export relaxations.

6 Nov 2025 - 7:00PMvideocam

Semiconductors

Volkswagen to make own chips in China for locally made autonomous vehicles

‘We are moving beyond localised production to mastering the core technologies that shape tomorrow’s mobility,’ VW China CEO says.

6 Nov 2025 - 2:54AM

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Volkswagen

Has Trump ceded EV market to China with latest string of policy shifts?

Analysts say rolling back regulations pushes US further towards petrol cars, discourages EV innovation, and gives China competitive edge.

Stung by Trump’s policies, German multinationals cautiously pivot towards China

Brazil scraps EV tariff break for Chinese carmaker BYD amid pressure from rivals

Major foreign carmakers set to stage a comeback in China this year: analysts

Foreign carmakers ‘will fight back because they will have the same products’ as their Chinese rivals, consultancy head Denis Depoux says.

China-EU deal on EVs marks rare agreement in frosty relations

The EU will waive tariffs on China-made battery electric vehicles if carmakers set a minimum price that offsets the effect of subsidies.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | EU-China ties are stuck between interdependence and rivalry

To break the pattern of trade escalations with Beijing, Brussels must move beyond tariffs and invest in its own competitiveness.

As Germany’s trade deficit with China nears new high, analysts warn of backlash

The widening gap, fuelled by a localisation push in China and fierce EV competition, is fuelling fears of political upheaval and rising protectionist sentiment in Berlin.

Discriminatory and egregious: China blasts EU’s subsidy crackdown

Commerce authorities vow to defend firms such as Nuctech and CRRC, while Beijing continues talks with Brussels over EV tariffs.

Opinion | A complicated new EU-China showdown is quietly taking shape

For now, both sides still need each other and there is nowhere else to turn. But behind this reliance, irritation and paranoia are rising.

EU drops 2035 combustion engine ban in victory for its carmakers

Europe pivots to bolstering its crisis-hit auto sector in a major green policy retreat.

Xpeng, Li Auto given approval to test ‘hands-off’ L3 cars amid slowing market

Deregulation to legalise L3 technology represents a leap forward in commercialising autonomous driving systems in China.

Can Volkswagen regain its China market share with its US$3.5 billion bet?

Volkswagen, which once had 50 per cent of China’s vehicle market, has invested €3 billion in its largest R&D centre outside its home country in Hefei.

Xpeng steps up ‘go global’ drive with Malaysian assembly hub for Southeast Asia

The Guangzhou-based company said it would partner with Malaysia’s EP Manufacturing to locally assemble intelligent EVs.

China’s EV battery giants wade into shipbuilding to bolster Beijing’s dominance

CATL and Gotion add momentum to China’s efforts to build new-energy vessels amid an accelerated decarbonisation drive.

China leans on German carmakers to help break Brussels tariff deadlock

Commerce vice-minister urges German industry leaders to leverage their clout to push the European Commission towards a compromise on the anti-subsidy probe.

EU launches 1st formal review of Chinese EV tariffs after VW Anhui’s submission

Bloc’s acceptance of a narrow review process from a manufacturer may give others hope that tariffs could be reduced or removed.

Germany’s China playbook: if you can’t beat them, partner up

More than half of surveyed German firms plan deeper ties with local partners in China to match the rapid innovation cycles of domestic competitors, the German Chamber of Commerce has found.

China’s private defence firms; Beijing sets yuan fix: SCMP daily highlights

From a boon for Chinese private defence firms to a Beijing start-up grabbing Elon Musk’s attention, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

Volkswagen revs up designed-in-China approach to catch up in EV market

Carmaker says mainland operations can now design and validate new models without approvals from Germany, reducing development time and cost.

Opinion | As China’s tech rises, companies must rethink their R&D strategy

Firms seeking to localise in China must see the country not just as a place to manufacture and sell, but as a co-creator and innovator.

How Nexperia saga exposes Europe’s waning influence in US-China chip war

The dispute around the Dutch chipmaker shows the erosion of Europe’s geopolitical neutrality in the face of escalating US-China rivalry.

Xpeng touts driverless cars, Volkswagen eyes making chips in China: 7 EV reads

From German auto firms scrambling to plug chip shortage to Xpeng touting driverless cars, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

Volkswagen bets on EV developed with Xpeng to regain ground in China

The ID Unyx 08 has received government approval to begin production and is expected to enter the market in 2026.

Nexperia chips have begun flowing to Europe again, auto suppliers say

Beijing has followed through on promises to ease export restrictions, but a final deal to decide the chip firm’s fate has yet to be agreed.

China’s importers sign record US$83.5 billion in deals at trade expo

Deal value at the just-ended import fair rises 4.4 per cent from a year earlier, reflecting confidence in Chinese consumer spending.

Tesla and global carmakers race against Chinese EV rivals at expo

At CIIE, global brands like Tesla and Volkswagen are under pressure to win back market share from local competitors.

Nexperia saga sees wary German auto firms scramble to mitigate chip shortage

Volkswagen, Aumovio and ZF among companies eyeing either exemptions, alternate sources or temporary cuts as China weighs export relaxations.

Volkswagen to make own chips in China for locally made autonomous vehicles

‘We are moving beyond localised production to mastering the core technologies that shape tomorrow’s mobility,’ VW China CEO says.

Opinion | EU-China ties are stuck between interdependence and rivalry