Volkswagen plans to export 300,000 China-built cars a year by 2030
- Volkswagen aims to ship at least 300,000 cars made in China each year by 2030.
- The German firm will also sell China-developed technology in Asia, the Middle East and South America.
- The plan comes as Volkswagen cuts about 100,000 jobs and faces weak demand.
Volkswagen wants to sell at least 300,000 vehicles built in China to buyers abroad every year by 2030, the German carmaker has said. The company also plans to sell technology it develops in China to other markets.
Ralf Brandstatter, who heads Volkswagen Group's China business, announced the target on Wednesday during a visit to Hefei in eastern China, where the company runs a large research and development centre. He said the company's plans go further than simply shipping cars out.
For the first time, Volkswagen will send technology developed in Hefei to other parts of Asia, the Middle East and South America. Europe is not part of that plan for now.
The technology includes the electronic system that runs the cars, developed with Chinese firm Xpeng, as well as the vehicle platform and driver-assistance system built with China's Horizon Robotics.
Why this matters beyond China
Volkswagen is Europe's largest carmaker and its decisions ripple through supply chains, dealerships and jobs far from Germany. The company is under pressure from Chinese rivals, soft demand in key markets and a difficult shift to electric vehicles.
Brandstatter said work done in China makes the group more competitive worldwide, describing China-developed technology as a strategic advantage for Volkswagen.
The export push sits alongside deep cost-cutting. In September the company agreed with unions to remove 50,000 more jobs by 2030, taking its total planned reduction to about 100,000 positions.
Volkswagen's image also still carries the 2015 diesel emissions scandal, when regulators in California found software installed on millions of diesel cars to cheat emissions tests.
The wider German car industry is struggling too. On Tuesday, Mercedes-Benz became the third of the big three German carmakers, alongside Volkswagen and BMW, to warn that its profit for the year would fall short, pointing to difficulties in China.
What happens next
Volkswagen has not said which countries will receive the first vehicle exports or when shipments will begin. The technology exports are earmarked for Asia, the Middle East and South America, but not Europe for now.
For Nigerian drivers, the plan does not change prices or supply directly. But it adds to a global market where Chinese-built vehicles and Chinese-developed technology are shaping what carmakers offer, and at what cost, in Africa and beyond.
