Volkswagen Group China

Infobox Company
name = Volkswagen Group China

type = Privately held company,
wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG
location = Beijing, People's Republic of China
locations =
area_served = Greater China
key_people =
industry = Automotive industry
products = cars/automobiles of Volkswagen, Audi andSkoda brands and spare parts
services = Automotive financial services
revenue =
operating_income = Euro 294 million (proportionate) [Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Annual Report 2007]
net_income =
assets =
equity =
owner =
num_employees = 26,000 (2007) [ [http://www.vw.com.cn/cds/?menu_uid=553 VGC - Key Facts and Figures] ]
parent = Volkswagen AG
divisions =
subsid = 14 subsidiaries
homepage = [http://www.vw.com.cn/cds/?menu_uid=549 VW.com.cn]
footnotes =
intl = yes

Volkswagen Group China (VGC) is the German automotive industry manufacturing conglomerate Volkswagen Group's subsidiary in the People's Republic of China. Volkswagen Group enjoys sales of about 18% (2007) of the Chinese market, [http://www.vw.com.cn/cds/?menu_uid=556 VGC - Current market situation and outlook] ] and is the largest "foreign" carmaker. The Chinese market is one of the main markets of the Group. Operations of Volkswagen in China include the production, sales and services of whole cars, parts and components, engines and transmission systems. The company's, including the imported ones, are sold under the brand names of Volkswagen, Audi,Skoda, Bentley, and Lamborghini in China.

Volkswagen Group is the largest, earliest and the most successful international partner of China's Automotive Industry. It started its connection with China as early as in 1978, and has been taking the leading position in the Chinese automotive market for more than 20 years. Its first joint venture in China, Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd., was established in October 1984. The second joint venture, FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd., was established in Changchun in February 1991.

The goal of Volkswagen Group China is to continue its market leadership as the most successful car manufacturer by responding to the challenges with a strong local manufacturing network. [http://www.vw.com.cn/cds/?menu_uid=556 VGC - Current market situation and outlook] ]

Volkswagen Group China's business

Volkswagen has been active in China since 1984. Today, the group has 14 representative companies in the country, undertaking parts delivery and service provision for both customers and industry in addition to vehicle production.

By May 2004 Volkswagen had concentrated its strengths in the founding of Volkswagen Group China (VGC), which is governed by a six-member management team responsible for the areas of sales and marketing, technology, purchasing, personnel and governmental relations as well as finance. VGC’s tasks include supervision of the Chinese associated companies of the Volkswagen Group and the set-up of new business segments.

VGC companies

Volkswagen Group, via its Volkswagen Group China subsidiary has 14 subsidiaries in China, with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), and First Automobile Works (FAW) being the two major Chinese partner companies.

hanghai Volkswagen Automotive Company

In 1984, a joint venture (JV) was established between Volkswagen Group and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, creating Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. (SVW). With its headquarters in Shanghai, equity holdings are split (as of 2008) - Volkswagen AG (40%), Volkswagen (China) Invest (10%), SAIC (50%). This a fixed term venture, of 45 years, running until 2030. [ [http://www.csvw.com/csvw/english/gsjs/gsjs/index.shtml SVW - SVW Introduction] ]

Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. (SVW) is the first car-making joint venture since China began its reform and debut to the outside world and is located in Anting International Auto City on the northwest outskirts of Shanghai. Producing cars under the Volkswagen and the Skoda brands, SVW currently offers a total of six model series, including Volkswagen Santana, Santana Vista, Passat, Polo, Touran, Lavida and Skoda Octavia. By January 2008, SVW had turned out over 4 million cars in total, becoming the carmaker that has the biggest population of cars in China.

Cooperation of Shanghai Shanghai Volkswagen and Škoda

In April 2005, Škoda officially landed at Shanghai Volkswagen, ushering Shanghai Volkswagen into the dual brand era. In September 2006, Shanghai Volkswagen Škoda – the first Chinese manufactured Skoda - was launched and the Chinese name was announced.

Octavia, the first Shanghai Volkswagen Skoda model, hit the market on June 6, 2007. Octavia is the first of its class that exceeds its international prototype in real sense. Following Octavia's success, Shanghai Volkswagen Škoda is going to launch Fabia in 2008 and other Škoda models in the following years at the pace of one model per year.

FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Company

Established in February 1991, FAW-Volkswagen Co., Ltd. (FAW-Volkswagen) is a large-scale carmaker jointly funded by China FAW Group, Volkswagen AG, Audi AG and Volkswagen (China) Investment Co., Ltd. It is the first modern car industrial base constructed on economy of scale in China. With its development over the years, FAW-Volkswagen is producing thousands of vehicles on a daily basis and exporting some of its complete vehicles, powertrain equipment and components to overseas markets.

FAW-Volkswagen manufactures the products of two globally known brands, Volkswagen and Audi, with advanced technology and equipment. Volkswagen Jetta, Bora, Golf, Sagitar, Magotan, Audi A6L and Audi A4 cars are very popular among consumers. FAW-Volkswagen is a mature production base in China with a complete portfolio of both A-, B- and C-grade cars.

Audi at FAW-Volkswagen

Audi, with more than 20 years of development experience in China, was the first global premium car brand to realize domestic production in China.

The most important milestones

;1988- 1996:Joint venture with First Automobile Works (FAW); Agreements on the manufacturing of the Audi 100 under license were signed on August 13, 1988, with this date marking the conclusion of negotiations lasting one year. The joint venture agreement included both the technology transfer for the production and planning of the Audi 100 and the setting up of after sales support. Expertise was in addition transferred by providing training for some 500 Chinese workers at Audi in Germany. Furthermore, around 30 Audi employees were posted to Changchun to provide production support.;Since 1996: Audi in the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture

In November 1993, the then-Board Chairman of FAW and Volkswagen AG, signed a letter of intent on the integration of Audi production and a V6 engine plant into the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture, which had been established at the end of 1991. As a result of the signing of the agreements in December 1995, Audi acquired a 10 percent stake in the joint venture by the name of FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Company Ltd. Volkswagen AG controls 30 percent, with FAW continuing to hold a 60 percent stake. The joint venture currently employs around 9,800.

The first Audi product built by the joint venture, a modified Audi 100 with V6 engine bearing the model designation Audi 200, went into production in May 1996. The Audi 200 remained in production until summer 1999 (facelift of the Audi 100) with 2.6 and 2.4 liter V6 engines and the 4-cylinder, 1.8 liter turbo power unit. The content manufactured locally at the Changchun plant was 60 percent.

Further VGC companies

The following are further companies which Volkswagen Group China are commercially involved with:
* Volkswagen (China) Investment Company Ltd., VW AG 100% "in Beijing"
* Volkswagen Transmission (Shanghai) Company Ltd., VW (China) 60%, FAW 20%, SAIC 20% "in Shanghai"
* Volkswagen Automatic Transmission (Dalian) Company Ltd., VW (China) 100% "in Dalian"
* Volkswagen FAW Platform Company Ltd. (Powertrain), VW 60%, FAW 40% "in Changchun"
* Shanghai Volkswagen Powertrain Company Ltd., VW (China) 60%, SAIC 40% "in Shanghai"
* Volkswagen FAW Engine (Dalian) Company Ltd., VW (China) 60%, FAW 40% "in Shanghai"
* SAIC-Volkswagen Sales Company Ltd., SAIC 50%, VW (China) 30%, SVW 20% "in Shanghai"
* FAW-Volkswagen Sales Company Ltd., FAW-VW 99%, FAW 1% "in Changchun"
* Volkswagen Import Company Ltd., VW (China) 100% "in Tianjin"
* Volkswagen Finance (China) Company Ltd., VW AG 100% "in Beijing"
* SITECH Dongchang Automotive Seating Technology Ltd., Sitech GmbH 60%, Dongchang 20%, Etern 20% "in Dongchang"
* Volkswagen Beijing Center Company Ltd., VW (China) 70%, Automobile Repair Company Beijing 30% "in Beijing"

ee also

* list of German cars
* Volkswagen Group
* Volkswagen Group of America
* Volkswagen do Brasil

References

External links

;Volkswagen Group China
* [http://www.vw.com.cn Volkswagen Group China] in English & Chinese
** [http://www.vw.com.cn/cds/?menu_uid=415 Volkswagen Cars China] in English
** [http://www.audi.cn/audi/cn/en2.html Audi China] in English
** [http://www.volkswagen-finance-china.com.cn/ Volkswagen Finance (China) Co., Ltd.] in Chinese;Shanghai Automotive Industry Company
* [http://www.csvw.com/csvw/english/index.shtml Shanghai-Volkswagen] in English;First Automobile Works
* [http://www.faw.com/webcontent/index.htm FAW Group corporate website] in English
* [http://www.faw.com/international/volkswagen.jsp FAW website] with FAW-VW History in English & Chinese
* [http://www.faw.com/international/volkswagen2.jsp FAW website] with FAW-VW Landmarks in English & Chinese
** [http://www.faw-vw.com/en/ FAW-Volkswagen] in English
** [http://audi.ogilvy.com.cn/en/index.html Audi China (FAW) corporate website] ;independent links
* [http://www.globalautoindex.com/maker.plt?no=2826 Global Auto Index's] Engine Specification & Model List