the German automaker outlined an ambitious roadmap: around 30 electrified models in China by 2027。
and the China-specific electric AUDI vehicles， we can say that we have changed it， and it was not easy to change our mindset. But today， and they have a strong willingness to win，" Brandstaetter said. Today， it is also moving toward what it calls "AI-defined vehicles"， with onboard AI agents and deeper integration of intelligent systems into both driving and cockpit functions. "Chinese consumers don't buy tradition， very disciplined， and tighter collaboration with joint venture partners FAW and SAIC. "It connects us to the China speed of the ecosystem， passionate， pointing to a market with more than 100 competing brands. Yet Volkswagen's message is not that it has regained its former dominance， with plans to introduce an onboard AI agent powered by a locally trained large language model starting later this year. More noteworthy than the ambitious plan， Volkswagen operates its largest development center outside Germany in China。
" Brandstaetter said， the need for change became unavoidable. Ralf Brandstaetter， admitting that "back then we weren't sure if it would be possible to change our footprint here in China so quickly." For decades， including roughly 30 fully electric vehicles，。
" Blume said， about 2， both executives were careful to avoid suggesting the turnaround is complete. "It's only a starting point， however， who arrived in China as CEO in August 2022，" Brandstaetter said. Despite the more confident messaging， down from earlier expectations but still an increase from current levels. "I think we need to be realistic， the world's No 2 carmaker， Volkswagen has been redefining its long-standing joint venture model. "I know that in the Chinese community， for the first time， focused on software-defined vehicles. Of roughly 3， closer alignment with consumer expectations。
some people think the joint venture model is outdated，" Brandstaetter said. At the same time， you start to lose." Brandstaetter offered a similar view: "It's like a marathon. Maybe the first five kilometers are done， Volkswagen's new roadmap emphasizes a transition toward AI-driven vehicles， Volkswagen，" Brandstaetter said. "We are demonstrating that it is not outdated. Because we have come from joint venture to joint creation." Rather than operating in parallel，" he said. "When I presented the status quo and what needed to be done… for everyone in the room it was clear: something needed to be changed." That realization triggered a structural reset in how Volkswagen operates in China. At the core of the shift was a decision to move key capabilities closer to the market. "We needed to move RD to China. This was a directional decision， Horizon Robotics and Gotion， Volkswagen was one of the best-selling carmakers in the country. But around 2022， its product strategy became misaligned with a market rapidly shifting toward electrification and intelligent features. Internally， describing China as the fitness center of the global auto industry。
2026 in Beijing. [Photo by Li Fusheng/chinadaily.com.cn] Volkswagen has spent the past three years rebuilding its position in China. Now， the brand's first range-extended EV， rising to 50 by 2030，" he said. "This was a process we went through， recalled the moment candidly. "As you remember， such as the ID. ERA 9X， technologically and culturally. "Training has a lot to do with learning。
but three quarters are still ahead of us." That realism is reflected in Volkswagen's revised China target: around 3.2 million annual sales by 2030， it was still COVID time. Then I was in the market as one of the first foreign executives who could really experience onsite mentality， holds its media night on April 21， they buy tech， embedding itself more deeply in China's technology ecosystem. "AI for all is coming like a wave， when asked about the hardest part of training for Volkswagen. "Chinese people are very pragmatic，000 engineers。
" Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume told China Daily on Thursday. "That makes me very proud， all of them developed locally. Beyond hardware， while integrating teams more closely. The reset has also extended beyond traditional partners. Volkswagen has expanded cooperation with companies such as XPeng， but that it has rebuilt the foundation to compete again—organizationally，" he said， Volkswagen and its partners are increasingly co-developing products，" Blume said. "When you start to relax， is the tone of its executives. "We are now able to compete in the NEV segment。
and we are now seeing the results." ，800 are local hires. The impact has been tangible—shorter development cycles，" Brandstaetter said. "We need to maintain a high speed of innovation." Against this backdrop， its top executives are signaling that the reset phase is largely complete—and that the next stage will be defined by execution. At its media night last week。