| SAIC Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. | |
| Type: | Joint venture |
| Location: | Anting, Jiading District, Shanghai, China |
| Area Served: | China |
| Key People: | Chen Hong (chairman) Chen Xianzhang (president) |
| Industry: | Automotive |
| Products: | Automobiles, engines |
| Brands: | Volkswagen Škoda Audi |
| Owners: | SAIC Motor (50%) Volkswagen AG (39%) Volkswagen (China) Invest (10%) Audi AG (1%) |
| Subsid: | SAIC Volkswagen Sales Co. Ltd. |
SAIC Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd., formerly known as Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. is an automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Anting, Shanghai, China and a joint venture between SAIC Motor and Volkswagen Group . It was founded in 1984 and produces cars under the Volkswagen, Škoda and Audi marques.[1] It is the second automobile manufacturing joint venture in China after American Motors and the first German car manufacturer to enter China.
The joint venture is made up of equity from SAIC Motor (50%), Volkswagen AG (40%), Volkswagen (China) Invest (10%), with a fixed-term venture for 45 years up until 2030.[2] It is the first of three joint ventures operated by Volkswagen in China, alongside FAW-Volkswagen with FAW Group and Volkswagen Anhui with JAC Group.
The joint venture was formed in October 1984, as Shanghai Volkswagen. This was a 25-year contract to make passenger cars in Shanghai with a limit of 50 percent foreign ownership.[3] Shanghai Volkswagen began automobile production in 1985. As car imports fell to some 34,000 in 1990, SAIC Volkswagen's production of its Santana models reached nearly 19,000 vehicles that year. By 1993 SAIC Volkswagen's output had reached 100,000 vehicles.[4]
Volkswagen was aided by some Shanghai municipal efforts. Various restrictions on engine size, as well as incentives to city taxi companies, helped ensure a safe market in the company's relatively wealthy home arena. The Shanghai plant was by far the winner among all new JVs, as it produced cars that could function as taxis, vehicles for government officials and transport for the newly emerging business elite. Volkswagen also encouraged its foreign parts suppliers to create joint ventures in China, and their resulting product helped SAIC Volkswagen achieve an 85 per cent local content rate by 1993.[5]
On 12 April 2002, SAIC Motor renewed its contract with Volkswagen and extended the term of cooperation for another 20 years. Chinese Communist Party former general secretary Jiang Zemin attended the signature ceremony.[6] Shanghai Volkswagen Sales Co. Ltd, established on 19 October 2000, as the first joint venture in vehicle sales in China.[7]
On 11 April 2005, the Czech automotive brand Škoda Auto was introduced after signing a contract. The first model for the brand was the Škoda Octavia built by Shanghai Volkswagen and commenced production on June 6, 2007. This followed with the Škoda Fabia in December 2008, the Superb in August 2009, the Škoda Rapid in April 2013 and the long wheelbase Škoda Yeti seven months later.[8]
In September 2011 SAIC-VW announced the new Tantus brand (Tianyue in Chinese). The Tantus EV which appeared in a few low-resolution images is an EV Based on the VW Lavida. The SAIC-VW Lavida is of course technically identical to the FAW-VW Bora. So it’s no surprise that the Tantus and the Carely are exactly the same car. After some talk about production, the brand is silently killed off without any cars ever sold.[9]
To complete the model lineup for the Chinese market, the Škoda Kodiaq was officially listed in March 2017, followed by the Škoda Karoq in January 2018 and the Chinese built Škoda Kamiq five months later.
SAIC Volkswagen started vehicle export shipments in January 2018 which targets left-hand drive Southeast Asian markets.[10] [11] Prior to this, the company briefly exported several hundred Volkswagen Polo Sedan to Australia in 2004.[12] [13] [14]
| No. 1 Auto Plant | Anting, Shanghai | 1984 | Volkswagen T-Cross, Volkswagen Polo, Volkswagen Tiguan, Volkswagen New Lavida, Volkswagen Phideon, Audi A7L[15] | ||
| No. 2 Auto Plant | 1992 | ||||
| No. 3 Auto Plant | 1999 | ||||
| New Energy Vehicle Plant | 2020 | 300,000 vehicles | Volkswagen ID.3, Volkswagen ID.4 X, Volkswagen ID.6 X, Audi Q5 e-tron | ||
| Nanjing Branch | Jiangning, Nanjing, Jiangsu | 2008 | 210,000 vehicles | Škoda Kamiq, Škoda Superb, Volkswagen Passat[16] | |
| Yizheng Branch | Yizheng, Jiangsu | 2012 | 600,000 vehicles | Škoda Rapid, Volkswagen Tharu, Volkswagen Santana[17] | |
| Ürümqi Plant | Ürümqi, Xinjiang | 2012 | 50,000 vehicles | Volkswagen Tharu, Volkswagen Santana[18] | |
| Ningbo Plant | Ningbo, Zhejiang | 2013 | 300,000 vehicles[19] | Škoda Karoq, Škoda Octavia, Volkswagen Lamando, Volkswagen Tharu, Volkswagen Teramont, Volkswagen Viloran, Audi Q6[20] | |
| Changsha Plant | Changsha, Hunan | 2015 | 300,000 vehicles[21] | Škoda Kodiaq, Volkswagen New Lavida, Volkswagen Touran[22] |
| Calendar year | Total sales | |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1,684[23] | |
| 1986 | 8,471 | |
| 1987 | 11,038 | |
| 1988 | 15,542 | |
| 1989 | 15,581 | |
| 1990 | 18,523 | |
| 1991 | 33,587 | |
| 1992 | 65,952 | |
| 1993 | 100,030 | |
| 1994 | 115,295 | |
| 1995 | 159,765 | |
| 1996 | 200,031 | |
| 1997 | 230,186 | |
| 1998 | 235,020 | |
| 1999 | 230,699 | |
| 2000 | 222,216 | |
| 2001 | 230,050 | |
| 2002 | 301,712 | |
| 2003 | 396,023 | |
| 2004 | 355,006 | |
| 2005 | 250,006 | |
| 2006 | 349,088 | |
| 2007 | 456,424 | |
| 2008 | 490,087 | |
| 2009 | 728,239 | |
| 2010 | 1.0 millionb[24] | |
| 2011 | 1.16 millionb[25] | |
| 2012 | 1.28 million[26] | |
| 2013 | 1.53 million[27] | |
| 2014 | 1.73 million[28] | |
| 2015 | 1.81 million | |
| 2016 | 2.0 million[29] | |
| 2017 | 2.06 million[30] | |
| 2018 | 2.06 million[31] | |
| 2019 | 2.0 million[32] | |
| 2020 | 1.5 million[33] | |
| 2021 | 1.24 million[34] | |
| 2022 | 1.32 million[35] | |
| 2023 | 1.21 million[36] |