Audi And SAIC Extend Partnership In China, To Develop Bespoke Platform For EVs

Audi and Chinese carmaker SAIC have announced plans to extend their partnership further in China, with both companies coming together to jointly develop new models built on a new platform specifically designed for the market. The new bespoke ‘Advanced Digitised Platform’ will be specific to China and will underpin the next generation of electric vehicles from the luxury carmaker in the B and C segments. 

The Chinese EV segment is fast-growing, and foreign automakers have been struggling to keep pace with local players. The move sees the German carmaker shake hands with SAIC, the local car giant, to speed up development times and production costs. The partnership, Audi says, will reduce its time-to-market by more than 30 per cent with the first BEV (battery electric vehicle) with SAIC slated for launch in 2025. 

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Speaking about the partnership, Gernot Döllner, CEO of Audi AG, said, “The deepened cooperation marks a significant milestone in Audi’s China strategy and further strengthens our local partnership with SAIC. We have a clear and common goal: to combine the best of our two companies to the full advantage of our Chinese customers with Audi’s premium experience and SAIC’s innovation speed in China.”

“Through the partnership with SAIC, we will significantly accelerate our local electrification strategy and deliver smart BEV products catering to Chinese customers’ needs. Audi’s unmistakable aesthetics and engineering, together with the innovation speed of SAIC, will offer Chinese customers intuitive and smart digital premium experiences, as well as automated driving features,” he added further. 

The jointly developed range of EVs will be sold in addition to Audi’s existing range of offerings in China. The automaker has also emphasised that the co-developed EVs will have Audi’s “distinct DNA” with its design language, premium driving experience, latest EV technology, and highest quality standards. 

Wang Xiaoqiu, President of SAIC Motor, said, "With Audi’s strong premium product definition, full vehicle R&D and engineering capabilities, and SAIC Motor’s industry-leading innovative electric technologies, the two parties will ‘technologically empower’ SAIC Audi to make a head start and capture new opportunities in the current competitive environment."

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Fermin Soneira from Audi will lead the ‘Advanced Digitised Platform’ as the chief executive of the joint project. Soneira has over 25 years of experience within the Volkswagen Group and previously served as the head of product line for electric models from the A to C segment at Audi.

The new Advanced Digitised Platform will be in addition to the MEB platform models that underpin the Audi Q4 e-tron and Q5 e-tron. The automaker will also introduce new EVs under the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture in collaboration with China’s FAW Group.