Volkswagen Group expands production in China; four new factories opened; SUVs and electromobility

With the opening of three new FAW-Volkswagen vehicle plants at three locations—in Qingdao, Foshan and Tianjin—as well as the Volkswagen FAW Platform Tianjin Branch component plant, the Volkswagen Group is strengthening its localization strategy in China.

With the opening of a second vehicle production plant in Foshan, a mega plant has been built at the South Chinese location. In addition, vehicle and component plants in Tianjin, northern China, were bundled at a single location. Together with the existing gearbox plant, further synergies will be used there to increase production efficiency.

All four new factories significantly increase the flexibility of Volkswagen Group China to react more quickly to customer needs. At the recently opened FAW-Volkswagen factory in Tianjin alone, more than 300,000 SUVs will roll off the assembly line each year, thus forming the basis for Volkswagen Group China’s SUV campaign.

With an annual production capacity now of 600,000 vehicles per year, the Foshan plant plays a pioneering role in the Volkswagen Group’s electrification strategy (“Roadmap E”). In Qingdao, too, electrified vehicles will be able to roll off the assembly line alongside cars with combustion engines in future.

We continue to expect the car market in China to develop positively. Volkswagen Group China will continue to grow accordingly. With the total market size of around 24 million cars sold, growth rates in the lower single-digit percentage range in the vehicle market already mean growth rates of several hundred thousand vehicles per year. That is why we kicked off our SUV and electric mobility campaign in China in 2018, so that we can respond to the needs of our Chinese customers even better than before. At Volkswagen we strive for continued success in this important market.

—Professor Jochem Heizmann, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG and President and CEO of Volkswagen Group China

In late August 2018, Volkswagen Group opened its new FAW-Volkswagen plant in Tianjin. SUV models, including plug-in hybrid versions, are produced here for the Volkswagen and Audi brands. Production capacity of the plant will be 1,200 units per day and 300,000 per year. In late June, Volkswagen FAW Platform Tianjin Branch opened a component plant to produce chassis for a variety of Audi and Volkswagen SUV models.

The opening of a second FAW plant in Foshan marks a significant milestone for the Roadmap E electrification strategy in China. Owing to the plant expansion in June 2018, annual production capacity in Foshan has increased from 300,000 to 600,000 vehicles. In addition to new SUV models from Volkswagen and Audi, the vehicles currently manufactured on the MQB platform are gradually being electrified. Moreover, by 2020, production of modular electric drive matrix (MEB) vehicles as well as MEB battery systems is set to commence here.

We want to make a significant contribution to electrifying the Chinese passenger car market. Around 40 different electric vehicle models are to be produced in China by 2025.

—Jochem Heizmann

Production of Volkswagen models at the FAW-VW plant in Qingdao commenced in late May. This flexible manufacturing facility allows for MQB models with internal combustion engines as well as electric drive systems to be built on the same production line. FAW-Volkswagen will also produce battery systems for the MQB platform there.

The Volkswagen Group now has over 23 production sites in China and 123 worldwide.

The Volkswagen Group founded its first joint venture in China in 1984: SAIC Volkswagen, in which the Volkswagen Group holds a 50% stake. In 1985 the first Chinese series production model, the Santana, rolled off the assembly line here. Four years later, an additional joint venture followed with FAW-VW in Changchun. A third joint venture to develop and produce an electric vehicle was added together with China’s manufacturer JAC in summer 2017, in which the Group also holds a 50% stake.

The Volkswagen Group is represented in China with 12 brands and has delivered more than 35 million vehicles with its joint venture partners FAW (FAW-Volkswagen) and SAIC (SAIC VOLKSWAGEN) since entering the Chinese market in 1984. Volkswagen Group China has more than 100,000 employees at 34 Chinese production plants in 23 locations.

In 2017, approximately 3,000 dealers (with 330,000 employees) sold 150 different Volkswagen Group models totalling 4.18 million vehicles in the People’s Republic of China – this represents an increase of 5.1% as compared to the previous year. As of August 2018, the Volkswagen Group holds an 18.3% share of the Chinese passenger car market.

Volkswagon Crozz Electric SUV Concept Debuts In Shanghai

Volkswagen has revealed third member of its new I.D. electric car brand and it is a tasty little crumpet, as Henry N. Manney, III used to say. Known as the I.D.Crozz,  the electric SUV concept is the perfect embodiment of what the market seems to want today — a crossover SUV that looks like a sport coupe. Think of it as mashup between a Chevy Suburban and a Mazda Miata.

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess told the press in Shanghai the Crozz is a “production possibility” and could hit the market as soon as 2020. “If it was ever possible to make a one hundred percent certain prediction of what the future will look like, it is achieved here. We are showing with the ID Crozz how Volkswagen will be transforming the roadscape from 2020.”

So what is an I.D. Crozz? It is a car built on Volkswagen’s new MEB chassis dedicated exclusively to electric cars. The same architecture is found underneath the other two cars in the I.D. portfolio, a sedan known simply as the I.D. Concept and the I.D. Buzz — an updated version of the iconic VW bus that was featured at this year’s Detroit auto show.

It has an 83 kWh battery and a claimed 311 mile range in the European test cycle. (Subtract 20% to get an idea what the EPA range will be.) 0-60 is said to happen in less than 6 seconds and the Crozz has a claimed top speed of 112 miles per hour. The company says an 80% charge can be had in 30 minutes using a 150 kW fast charger. (Good luck finding one of those.)

That’s all good news, but it’s what’s inside that makes the I.D. Crozz interesting. Hold the VW crest in the middle of the steering wheel for 3 seconds and the car transitions to self driving mode, thanks to a suite of electronic sensors. The interior also features an augmented reality heads up display on the windshield and hand gesture activation of climate control and audio systems. Even the opacity of the glass roof can be controlled by hand gestures. Volkswagen refers to it as a cell phone on wheels.

Electric cars allow designers and engineers to do creative things when it comes to packaging the car’s components. Volkswagen says it has developed new high power electric motors that are more compact, which allows it to dedicate more of the space inside to carrying people and things. Although it is smaller on the outside than a Volkswagen Tiguan, it has more interior room. The rear doors open beyond 90 degrees to make loading bulky items like bicycles a breeze.

Volkswagen’s stylists have done a good job with the I.D. Crozz. It is a handsome design that has strong eye appeal. (Am I the only one who thinks it looks a little like a Tesla Model 3 with more creases in plan view?) The only question is whether the I.D. Crozz and its siblings will get to market in time to compete with the other electric SUVs other companies are rushing into production.

Source: Cleantechnica, Electric Cars Report

Don’t Buy It, Build: 2017 Ford Bronco (DIY Edition)

People have been buzzing about a new, body-on-frame SUV since the UAW leaked news about an all-new 2017 Ford Bronco a few months ago. Since then, our Bronco post has been consistently popular and I’ve gotten literally tens of emails asking me for more information about the car. The anticipation was too much for one man, however, and he decided to take matters into his own hands … by building his very own new Bronco.

Our intrepid modder started off as a recycler by making the most of a car he already had. Namely, a Ukrainian-market Lada Niva 4×4 that was manufactured by AutoVAZ. So, not the most auspicious of starts- but you can’t fault the man’s work ethic.

Turning an Old Lada into a New Ford Bronco

---

• 
  A little inspiration from a Ford Bronco concept …

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

The end result is a much more modern-looking 4×4 Niva that could be mistaken for a current model. You know, if Lada made a current Niva 4×4. Which- I dunno. They might still make a Niva 4×4. This YouTube video makes it look like someone does, anyway.

Regardless of what this Niva/Bronco started as, however, it is very definitely now a kick-a** homage to Ford’s latest Bronco concept vehicle. Whether or not the actual production Bronco we end up getting in 2017 is something bare-bones like this or something softer and more living-roomy remains to be seen … but how cool would it be if Ford gave us something like this? Or just gave us the Brazil-market Troller?

You’ve got keyboards- let us know! Tell us what you think of one man’s DIY Ford Bronco project and what you hope (or fear) will happen to Ford’s “real” effort on its way from sketchpad to production in the comments section at the bottom of the page. Enjoy!

DIY Bronco Details

---

• 
  Slick, modern headlights …

• 
• 
• 

Source | Images: AutoforumCZ, via Jalopnik.

Spied: Next Mitsubishi Outlander Revealed!

We first got a taste of what Mitsubishi had in mind for its next Outlander/Pajero SUV at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show earlier this year, when the small (ailing?) company introduced a concept that traded heavily on the brand’s impressive off-road history. While that concept gave us a sense of the company’s future styling direction, though, these pictures from Indian Autos Blog show a completely undisguised 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander/Pajero … and it looks great!

The new Mitsubishi Outlander (Pajero) is set to debut at the 2015 Bangkok International Grand Motor Sale/Show, which is also expected to see the introduction of an all-new Mitsubishi diesel engine that will produce more than 300 lb-ft of torque from just 2.4 liters.

As for me, I’m hoping we’ll finally get the award-winning plug-in hybrid version of the Mitsubishi Outlander here in the ‘States- and that it’ll be wearing this sexy new skin when it and if it does arrive!

Still, I’m just the one guy- and probably not a buyer on this, anyway- so it hardly matters what I think. What do you guys think? Is this latest redesign going to help push the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander to new sales heights, or will it end up being a final footnote in the brand’s story before they pull out of North America forever? Check out the (depressingly low-res) images, below, then let us know what you think in the comments.

2017 Mitsubishi Outlander (Pajero) SUV

---

• 

• 
• 
• 

Source | Images: Indian Autos Blog.

First Drive: 2016 Honda Pilot

The term "walk-off home run," coined by Oakland A's relief pitcher Dennis Eckersley, originally applied to the losing team. Specifically, to the pitcher who'd just thrown the game-ending home run and then had to walk off the field in shame. These days, it's often applied to the winners, who can walk off the field immediately rather than play out the rest of the game.
2016 Honda Pilot Full Pricing AnnouncedA walk-off home run occurs when a batter for the home team hits a home run in the bottom of the last inning (not necessarily the ninth) that gives his team the lead. As there is no opportunity for the visiting team to score again, the game ends on the spot. Everyone walks off the field. Calling the 2016 Honda Pilot a walk-off home run is bold for a number of reasons. First among them is that the game will never be over; the competition always gets another chance at bat. Second, it implies a neck-and-neck finish, which doesn't give Honda enough credit. See, Honda was confident enough in the new Pilot to bring nearly all the competition to the launch event for expedited, on-the-spot comparison tests. Not only did Honda bring a Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Explorer, Nissan Pathfinder, and Toyota Highlander, but it also brought top-spec, loaded examples, not cut-rate base models. Our normal comparison test procedure requires multiple editors and a lot more testing and arguing, so don't consider this the final word, but at this event the Honda knocked off all of them with ease.

• 
• 
• 

What makes this new Pilot so good? It starts at the bottom. The new Pilot shares its platform with the new Acura MDX, and it's an excellent platform. The Pilot's impressive handling and body control are evidence. Should customers be terribly late to soccer practice and hustling the car for all it's worth, they'll find a very willing partner in the Pilot. It turns in sharply, smoothly transfers its weight, grips like a sedan, holds its line perfectly through a corner, and handles bumps as minor annoyances, not threats to stability. Topping it off is best-in-segment steering that not only feels nicely weighted, exhibiting no on-center dead spot and requiring no mid-corner corrections, but even returns a little road feel. It doesn't drive like a massive, eight-passenger SUV. It drives like the moderately sporty family sedan you gave up because you needed more space. That's just how it goes around a corner. There's also the way it goes and stops. The fully revised 3.5-liter V-6 is more powerful than before and a touch more efficient. More important, the Pilot is nearly 300 pounds lighter, which contributes greatly to the improved driving experience. The engine feels strong and responsive, not overburdened like some of the competition. Acceleration from a stop and for passing is more than adequate. The lineup's real gem is the all-new nine-speed automatic transmission that comes on the top two trim levels. If you're willing to spend the money, go for it. The standard six-speed auto shifts just as nicely, but the nine-speed's wider gear ratio spread allows for more aggressive acceleration in lower gears and lower engine speeds in higher gears, giving you a stronger sense of acceleration from a stop and passing without hurting you on fuel economy. Either way, seamless cylinder deactivation and nearly seamless automatic engine start/stop will help keep the mpgs up. Front-wheel-drive models do experience a bit of torque steer, which isn't appreciated. On the other end, the Pilot brakes strongly and confidently with a nice, solid pedal.



Source: Motor Trend

Audi Confirms Electric SUV For 2018

It’s hard to keep a secret in the auto industry, and Audi has finally confirmed rumors that its building an electric SUV due out in the next few years. AutoExpress nabbed the above teaser image of this new “sport activity vehicle” as Audi likes to call it, and the luxury automaker is promising a range per charge of more than 500 km, or about 310 miles.

Buried deep Ulrich Hackenberg’s speech at the annual press conference is a single paragraph about this important entry to the EV world. It says:

“In early 2018, we will launch a battery-powered sports activity vehicle in the large premium segment with a range of more than 500 kilometers. It will have a new, very attractive design, which we are developing especially for the e-tron range and for battery-electric vehicles. This sports activity vehicle will be built on the second generation of the modular longitudinal platform. From the very beginning, this tool for optimal drivetrain diversity implementation has been designed for a broad variety of concepts.”

Audi has already previewed its new design language going forward in the Prologue and Prologue Avant concepts, and you can see hints of both in the darkened teaser image. 2018 is still a long ways away though, especially since the Tesla Model X is set to debut sometime this summer. This is more than just an answer to Elon Musk though; if Audi wants to position itself as a leader in electric technologies and meet increasing emissions requirements in nearly every major car market. Audi’s initial answer is the Q7 diesel-electric hybrid, though that’s really just a stop gap.

It also doesn’t really compete with Tesla. With more than 20,000 orders for a $70,000 vehicle nobody has seen in its final form outside of the Tesla factory, automakers like Audi have got to be wondering what they can do to stay competitive. An electric SUV of their own is a good start, and I won’t complain about the R8 e-tron either.

On the same token, they’re only playing catchup to an upstart. I’d like to see some more EV innovation from ze Germans.

Tesla Model X Will Appeal Strongly To Women

The upcoming Tesla Model X may be an even more important car than the Model S, but to be a success it will have to appeal directly to women. That’s because the Model X is an SUV, and women are the primary market for SUV makers, which is one of the biggest new car markets in the world. While the Model S sedan has appealed strongly to men — almost 86% of Model S buyers are male, women may ultimately decide whether or not Tesla is a successful automaker, reports the Mercury News, and Elon Musk knows it. At Tesla’s annual meeting this year, a woman advised CEO Elon Musk to make future vehicles “a little bit more women-favored.”

“That’s a good point,” said Musk. “We’re certainly paying more attention to the needs of women in the Model X, and I think you’re right, we probably got a little too guy-centric on the S. So, we’re hoping to correct that with the X.” They started by having head designer Franz von Holzhausen spend 3 hours with a panel of women at the company’s headquarters in Palo Alto last year. The participants made sure he knew what aspects of the new car were important to them.

Bringing an SUV to market is critical to success for Tesla. SUV’s and pickup trucks account for more than half of all new vehicle sales in the US, and more women are historically more interested in a SUV than a sedan. “If you are a serious automaker, you have to be in the SUV market,” Renee Stephens, vice president of automotive research at JD Power and Associates, told the Mercury News. “In the past three years, the compact SUV segment has really grown and Tesla is saying, ‘Hey, this is a market for us. We need to get in there.” And when you look at the competition, it’s clear that Tesla already holds a serious advantage.

Tesla says the Model X is a “family vehicle with performance roots” and that “you can finally live a big-car lifestyle without living at the pump.” That’s important to many women who are getting kids, groceries and pets into and out of the car many times a day, but still see themselves as defenders of the planet. The second row of seats slides all the way forward to make access to the third row seats more convenient and the large amount of cargo space in the rear is important to buyers, too.

But the most sensational feature of the Tesla Model X is its falcon wing doors. Looking like a throwback to the gullwing doors on a Mercedes Benz 300SL of 1953, they are hinged in the center of the car and rise up and out of the way to make getting in and out in tight spaces easy. Of the falcon-wing doors, Tesla says that… “While earning serious style points, they’re functional first. You easily step, not climb, into Model X.” That’s definitely appeal to the sensibilities of women and men.

The Model X is scheduled to go on sale in 2015. Although its introduction has been delayed several times, potential buyers are lining up for the chance to own one. Experts predict it will cost about $70,000, which is what a base model Tesla S sells for.

2016 Audi Q7 Debuts With Plug-In Diesel Hybrid Option

Ahead of its debut in Detroit, the 2016 Audi Q7 has broken cover, trimming the fat, building muscle, and for the first time offering a plug-in hybrid diesel drivetrain. This will make the new Q7 among the lightest, most powerful, and most efficient full-size luxury SUVs ever built.

The days of overweight SUVs are coming to an end, and the 2016 Q7 is a perfect example of what’s now possible in terms of weight loss. Using both high-strength steel and loads of aluminum, Audi managed to trim some 700 pounds over the outgoing model, bringing the curb weight as low as 4,400 pounds, without actually making the Q7 noticeably smaller.

European buyers will have the option of a supercharged 3.0 liter gasoline V6 or an all-new 3.0 liter TDI engine with 272 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque on tap, which helps cut a full second off the 0 to 60 MPH time, from 7.3 to just 6.3 seconds. The 3.0 liter gas V6 has been improved in terms of power and acceleration too, zipping to 60 MPH in just 6.1 seconds instead of 7.3, though interestingly no mention of the promised electronic turbocharger. Though EPA fuel economy hasn’t been estimated, on the European scale the 2016 Audi Q7 uses 5.7 liters of fuel per 100km, which translates to about 41.3 MPG. That’s pretty damn good for a full-size SUV, but it gets even better with Audi’s first plug-in hybrid diesel drivetrain.

Pairing a 258 horsepower 3.0 liter TDI V6 with a with a 126 horsepower electric motor for total output of 373 horsepower, the quattro all-wheel drive enables 0 to 60 MPH acceleration of just 6.0 seconds and a top speed of 140 MPH. With a fully-charged battery, fuel economy is estimated to be 138 MPG, with Audi claiming an electric driving range of about 34 miles. On the American testing scale expect both numbers to come down dramatically, though the 2016 Audi Q7 should still offer unrivaled fuel economy in this class of cars with this unique drivetrain.

This is just the tip of the iceberg though, as the 2016 Q7 also includes a new take on an old technology, all-wheel steering, which will make the large SUV a lot more maneuverable. The predictive efficiency assistant is designed to help you get the most MPGs out of your large SUV, advising you on speed and other efficiency factors that could boost fuel economy as much as 10%.

The all-new Q7 is a big deal for Audi, and as one of the brand’s first production plug-in hybrids, it’s setting the bar high for expectations of Audi’s electrification plans.

Introducing The eRUF Stormster Electric SUV

eRUF Stormster All-Electric SUV




This particular vehicle looks very promising. It satisfies America's craving for an SUV and also provides alternate energy propulsion. With more than 100 miles of range, it should satisfy the overwhelming majority of commuters. Let's hope that it makes it to production post haste.

RUF Automobile GmbH unveiled the Stormster, an electric SUV based on the Porsche Cayenne, for the European Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, (COP 15). The Stormster is driven by a Siemens electric motor, with 270 kW (367 bhp) as in the eRUF sports car. The lithium-ion battery pack is supplied by Li-Tec Battery GmbH.

The total weight is 2,670 kg which makes it capable of reaching 100 km/h in 10 seconds. The top speed is 150 km/h, being able to reach a range of 200 km at one charge.

RUF introduced the first electric sports car (eRUF) from Germany in October 2008. During the Geneva Motor Show, in March 2009, RUF further presented an evolution of the first eRUF, widely known as “Greenster”.

Source: Green Car Congress