The new partnership between Audi and the well-known Chinese company will soon give its first results. The first electric model will hit the market as early as next year with the aim of increasing sales of the German brand’s cars in China.
Today, it is impossible to survive without synergy, agreement or cooperation. Large corporations dominate the automotive market and it is almost impossible to evolve outside of their environment.
But even large groups are unable to keep up with the pace of development of Chinese companies. Faced with such power, European brands are constantly signing cooperation with local companies. Representatives of Audi and SAIC shook hands and reached an agreement.
Even belonging to the largest automotive group, the Volkswagen Group, does not give access to the largest technological offer in the world of electric cars. China currently has hegemony in the world market and there is no indication that its dominance will diminish or disappear. It dominates both the production and development of products and the technology of these products.
The Chinese are capable of shortening deadlines in an extraordinary way. What in Europe can take years of work in China is a matter of months, he writes Klix.ba.
Audi reduced development time by 30 percent compared to Europe
That speed is what seduces brands like Audi. The Germans ratified the agreement in May, so it is expected that the first model created from the “union” of Audi and SAIC will go on the market next year.
SAIC Motor is one of the largest companies in the sector in China. Under their roof are brands that are already popular in Europe, such as MG. The contract is somewhat unusual, as Audi will not even “stamp” its cars. The famous emblem with four rings will not be present on these models.
Audi will use the Advanced Digital Platform (ADP), although a team of engineers developed the chassis almost from scratch in record time. Such a development approach shortened the time frame by 30 percent, in contrast to the constant delays during preparations for the PPE platform.
What do we know about the first “Chinese” Audi?
Local sources say the first car from the Audi-SAIC partnership will be a mid-size electric vehicle. It will be officially presented in November, but it will only go on sale next year, exclusively in China.
This is not the first time that SAIC, China’s largest state-controlled carmaker, has joined forces with the Volkswagen Group in mutual interests. For years, the Germans have worked closely with SAIC to increase their presence in China. Today, the roles are reversed and it is the Chinese who support the Germans.
Audi’s current role in China is almost symbolic. In 2023, they sold a total of 31,000 cars on the market there, far from the three million vehicles that BYD signed a contract with customers for. Audi needs to improve those numbers in the world’s largest market, and this partnership will allow them to do so.
Source: Klix.ba
Photo: Arhiva Audi / SAIC
Source: autoblog.rs
