Volkswagen's new factory in China to make 0.3mn all-electric cars per year

Automaker company Volkswagen is stepping up its game in electric vehicles as it has announced its plan to build a large-scale EV factory in China, that will produce 300,000 cars annually.

As a part of its electric car plans, Volkswagen has announced building of its very first group-wide, large-scale electric vehicle (EV) production factory in Anting, China, which will be completed by 2020.

As per Engadget, once the factory is in running, it will solely build all-electric vehicles based on Volkswagen’s MEB (Modular Electric Drive Kit) platform and the battery systems required to power those vehicles. Also, the first of the EVs to roll out will be a Volkswagen SUV.

“Through Volkswagen’s MEB platform, we will be able to easily produce state-of-the-art electric vehicles for our Chinese customers on a high scale,” said Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG.

The company claimed that the factory will meet the ‘highest modern standards’ of automation with 1,400 robots to improve safety and efficiency. It will have negligible environmental impact with 27 various environmentally-friendly technologies being employed to decrease emissions along with saving energy and water consumption, turning the factory into an absolute ‘Green Field Factory’.

Along with the recently opened plant in Foshan, China, VW’s e-car production will start in Germany where it will pump out an incredible volume of those cars, producing 300,000 EVs per year. This e-car production amount will not only be necessary given the size of Chinese car market, but could also create economies of scale, making EVs more affordable.

“Through this first pure electric automotive modular platform, electric vehicles will have a more dynamic design, with expanded battery capacity and all-new integrated digital services, while being fully prepared for future autonomous driving implementation – allowing all Volkswagen brands to make e-mobility widely accessible at moderate prices,” wrote Volkswagen.