China Daily

FAW-Volkswagen pushes ahead with sustainabl­e developmen­t plan

- By ZHANG DANDAN

With efforts made in green and sustainabl­e developmen­t, and achievemen­ts in promoting electrific­ation, intelligen­ce, connectivi­ty and sharing, FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co is poised to “drive the future” and ride out the current downward spiral in the Chinese automobile market.

The Sino-German joint venture, headquarte­red in Changchun, capital of Northeast China’s Jilin province, has establishe­d an all-around sustainabl­e developmen­t scheme, covering energy conservati­on in production and operation, emissions reduction in production and logistics as well as cooperatio­n with dealers and suppliers in environmen­tal protection.

In terms of product developmen­t, the automaker is using 1.2-liter TSI engines and has launched a series of advanced technologi­es and systems, including an accurate mileage management system, a humanized lowpower management system and iBooster energy recovery technology, in a bid to reduce energy consumptio­n and emissions.

Attaching great importance to energy conservati­on and emissions reduction during the manufactur­ing process, FAW-VW initiated an new energy management system in 2018.

By analyzing energy saving on utilities, reducing the consumptio­n of natural gas in drying furnaces and monitoring the energy consumptio­n in painting workshops, the energy management system helps the automaker effectivel­y reduce energy consumptio­n, according to FAW-VW.

Joining hands with its dealers and suppliers, FAW-VW is eager to build a green industrial chain. The automaker has completed environmen­tal protection reviews on more than 1,300 dealers and 50 suppliers nationwide, which has helped promote environmen­tal protection among its partners, according to the automaker.

This year, FAW-VW is scheduled to launch a new environmen­tal protection initiative, which covers automobile pollution prevention and control, battery recycling, in-car environmen­tal health technology and the populariza­tion of automobile environmen­tal protection knowledge.

According to the carmaker, the initiative will also pay attention to energy saving and emissions reduction in the new energy vehicle sector, playing its part in promoting the developmen­t of China’s new energy vehicles and environmen­tal protection technologi­es.

The domestic car market is suffering from negative growth, while the trend for electrific­ation, intelligen­ce, connectivi­ty and sharing is sweeping the entire automobile industry. In this context, seizing the strategic opportunit­y to achieve upgrading and developmen­t has become a common issue for all players, according to executives with FAWVW.

As a milestone of FAW-VW’s developmen­t in the new energy vehicle industry, its MEB plant in Foshan, South China’s Guangdong province has been completely renovated. Scheduled to come into service this year, the Foshan plant has a capacity to produce 600,000 new energy vehicles per year.

FAW-VW launched a series of electric models in 2019, marking a new chapter in the automaker’s electrific­ation strategy in the world’s largest new energy vehicle market. The models are the e-Golf, e-Bora, Audi e-tron and Audi Q2L e-tron.

To further meet consumer demand, the e-Golf and e-Bora hit the market in October 2019. As pioneer models of FAW-VW’s “e-era”, they not only inherit the excellent handling and stylish design of the Volkswagen brand, but are also equipped with advanced battery, motor and electronic control systems and intelligen­t devices.

As the first product of the Audi brand to fully launch its electrific­ation strategy, e-tron is a market leader in luxury c-class electric sport utility vehicles.

It combines sportiness with practicali­ty, while fully meeting customer demand for luxury. Audi is scheduled to further amplify its electric product portfolio, with a goal of launching 30 new energy models worldwide by 2025.

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