Volkswagen Group is expanding its business in its most important market, China, through a smart city project in Hefei in Anhui province. The OEM will test and develop the requirements and demand for future mobility in the city in a fully connected environment, jointly with Mobility Asia, JAC and the Hefei government.
Dr Stephan Wöllenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Group China, said, “Volkswagen Group China is already exciting millions of Chinese customers with a wide range of vehicles. With this cooperation, we demonstrate that we are working hard to take a leading role in the field of smart mobility solutions in the Chinese market as well.”
The initiative will give Volkswagen the opportunity to test new technologies, business models and products. Volkswagen Group China, Mobility Asia and JAC will pool their resources and collaborate to explore autonomous mobility services, including robotaxis and autonomous fleet management, ride hailing and car sharing.
Around eight million people live in Hefei, which aims to become a state-of-the-art smart city through the partnership.