SAIC Volkswagen's New EV Only Plant In China Starts Pre-Production

The manufacturing capacity will be 300,000 all-electric cars annually.

Volkswagen’s joint venture with SAIC has launched today an all-new and electric-only manufacturing plant in Anting, China, which is envisioned to produce MEB-based models for various Volkswagen Group’s brands.

The new plant in Anting begins pre-production of electric cars just one year after ground-breaking, although series-production is expected to begin in October 2020. The production capacity of up to six different car projects running simultaneously is set for 300,000.

“The new plant of the SAIC VOLKSWAGEN joint venture has been completed. It is purely built for the production of all electric vehicles on Volkswagen’s Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB). Celebrating the start of pre- production, a first China-specific all–electric Volkswagen ID. model rolled off the production line. The plant sets the next milestone in Volkswagen’s global electrification strategy. The start of series production of all-electric cars based on the MEB platform in Anting is scheduled for October 2020.”

Similarly, a 300,000 annual unit manufacturing plant will be launched in parallel by the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture in Foshan, China.

Volkswagen didn’t reveal what model is being pre-produced, but it might be the Chinese-version of Volkswagen ID.4 (under another name and with possibly slightly different specs than the version for Europe/North America). ID.4 will be produced at the Chattanooga, Tennessee plant (check out our ID.4 summary here).

SAIC Volkswagen electric-only plant in Anting, China