Volkswagen tests China’s appetite for locally developed EVs

German automotive giant Volkswagen will launch three new electric vehicle (EV) models in mainland China over the next two weeks, developed using technology from Chinese firms.The move comes at a time when international marques are struggling on the mainland amid fierce competition in the world’s largest car market.As the largest foreign carmaker in China, Volkswagen previously said that it would integrate Germany’s high manufacturing standards with technology developed by Chinese firms.“We are committed to building cars together with China,” said Robert Cisek, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand for China and executive vice-president of Volkswagen-group-China" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="104537" data-entity-type="organization">Volkswagen Group China, on Wednesday. “To be a real global leader … we must build our products and technologies around the genuine needs of our users in every market we serve.”Robert Cisek, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand for China, speaks at the unveiling of the cars on Wednesday. Photo: dpaID. UNYX 08, the first model in the line-up, will feature VLA – an intelligent driving assistance system developed by the Guangzhou-based EV start-up Xpeng – and batteries from Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd, or CATL.