TOPIC

/ company

Volkswagen

Volkswagen Group is the largest carmaker in Europe, selling vehicles under the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, Škoda and Volkswagen marques. It also sells Ducati motorcycles and commercial vehicles under the MAN and Scania marques. The VW Beetle was its first bestselling model, and the Golf, launched after it stopped production of the Beetle, has become the third best-selling car of all time.

Chairman / President

Hans Dieter Pötsch

CEO / Managing Director

Oliver Blume

CFO / Finance Director

Arno Antlitz

Industry

Automotive

Website

volkswagen.com

Headquarters address

Volkswagen AG, Berliner Ring 2, 38440 Wolfsburg, Germany

Stock Code

FWB:VOW3

Year founded

1937

A BYD vehicle is seen on the production line at the Chinese company’s new electric-vehicle factory in Brazil in October 2025. Photo: Reuters

China-Latin America relations

China pours US$6.1b into Brazil, making it Beijing’s top global investment

Chinese miners, carmakers and tech firms are fanned out across 20 states, putting a dent in Washington’s own push throughout the region.

8 May 2026 - 12:06AMvideocam

Germany

Driver ploughs car into crowd in Germany’s Leipzig, killing 2

5 May 2026 - 6:18PM

Electric & new energy vehicles

Shifting gears: how foreign giants aim to catch up in China’s EV era

2 May 2026 - 11:00AM

China-EU relations

Opinion | Facing US and Chinese pressure, the EU must forge its own strategy

To remain competitive, Brussels must leverage its market power to engage Beijing – while aligning with Washington on its own terms.

28 Apr 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

China manufacturing

Opinion | How China’s manufacturing is winning the Iran war

China’s production advantage is built on years of preparation, investment in renewables and cost discipline that are difficult to displace.

28 Apr 2026 - 5:21PMvideocam

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers bet on in-house chips to make cars smarter and more autonomous

Chinese EV makers are showcasing advanced in-house chips at Auto China, powering smarter vehicles and challenging global tech leaders.

24 Apr 2026 - 8:30AM

China exports

How a Chinese plastics hub shapes Tesla’s supply chain – and moulds the modern world

From car components to keyboards, this little-known industrial district in eastern China is crafting the small parts the world relies on.

23 Apr 2026 - 6:54AMvideocam

China manufacturing

China focuses on car standards to put industry in global driving seat

New five-year plan also emphasised importance of stronger standards in boosting Chinese manufacturers’ competitiveness.

17 Apr 2026 - 6:30PM

Electric & new energy vehicles

Hyundai spearheads foreign EV comeback push in China with Ioniq brand

South Korean carmaker bets on local partnerships and technology as global brands prepare fresh push into China’s fast-moving EV market.

12 Apr 2026 - 1:20PM

Donald Trump

Trump’s tariff threat on European cars escalates global trade tensions

The US president said he will impose a 20 per cent tariff on all EU car imports, which could broaden a trade war already sparked with China.

10 Apr 2026 - 4:41AM

Electric & new energy vehicles

Volkswagen tests China’s appetite for locally developed EVs

The three models, which will be launched over the next two weeks, use technology developed by Volkswagen’s Chinese partners.

9 Apr 2026 - 11:57AM

Volkswagen unveiled the ID. ERA 9X, ID. AURA T6 and ID. UNYX 08 electric vehicles in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Electric & new energy vehicles

More foreign marques face a do-or-die moment as Chinese buyers shun petrol cars

Following Skoda’s exit from China, other carmakers with falling sales are also likely to close shop this year, analysts say.

6 Apr 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

SCMP Highlights

China’s electric cars and Iran war, VW pulls Skoda: 7 EV reads

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1 Apr 2026 - 3:30PM

Automotive industry

VW pulls Skoda brand from China after years of falling sales

Czech brand’s mainland sales declined from 341,000 in 2018 to around 15,000 last year as domestic carmakers’ EVs won market share.

26 Mar 2026 - 6:30PM

A Skoda Peaq electric car is seen during the opening of a new battery assembly hall at the Skoda factory in Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic on February 27, 2026. Photo: AFP

China-Germany relations

Xi and Merz pledge to strengthen ties as they rebalance amid ‘turbulent’ times

After meeting Chinese leader, German chancellor calls for closer trade relations to unlock opportunities and drive economic prosperity.

26 Feb 2026 - 10:16AMvideocam

Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) welcomes German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: dpa

US-China trade war

Has Trump ceded EV market to China with latest string of policy shifts?

Analysts say rolling back regulations pushes US further towards petrol cars, discourages EV innovation, and gives China competitive edge.

19 Feb 2026 - 3:58AMvideocam

China-EU relations

Stung by Trump’s policies, German multinationals cautiously pivot towards China

German firms are keen to invest more in China as they shy away from the US, but they still face issues in the Chinese market, business group says.

6 Feb 2026 - 5:22PMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

Brazil scraps EV tariff break for Chinese carmaker BYD amid pressure from rivals

US, European and Japanese manufacturers combined to lobby for an end to favourable rules for Chinese kit imports.

5 Feb 2026 - 3:25PMvideocam

BYD controls more than 74 per cent of Brazil’s electric car segment. Photo: AFP

Electric & new energy vehicles

Major foreign carmakers set to stage a comeback in China this year: analysts

Foreign carmakers ‘will fight back because they will have the same products’ as their Chinese rivals, consultancy head Denis Depoux says.

23 Jan 2026 - 10:00AM

China-EU relations

China-EU deal on EVs marks rare agreement in frosty relations

The EU will waive tariffs on China-made battery electric vehicles if carmakers set a minimum price that offsets the effect of subsidies.

13 Jan 2026 - 5:00PM

China-EU relations

Opinion | EU-China ties are stuck between interdependence and rivalry

To break the pattern of trade escalations with Beijing, Brussels must move beyond tariffs and invest in its own competitiveness.

13 Jan 2026 - 5:57PMvideocam

Employees work on the assembly line of vehicles at a workshop of FAW-Volkswagen on December 9, 2025, in Chengdu in China’s Sichuan province. Photo: VCG via Getty Images

China trade

As Germany’s trade deficit with China nears new high, analysts warn of backlash

The widening gap, fuelled by a localisation push in China and fierce EV competition, is fuelling fears of political upheaval and rising protectionist sentiment in Berlin.

23 Dec 2025 - 4:00PM

Factory workers assemble cars at a Volkswagen plant in Qingdao, in China’s eastern Shandong province, last week. Photo: AFP

China-EU relations

Discriminatory and egregious: China blasts EU’s subsidy crackdown

Commerce authorities vow to defend firms such as Nuctech and CRRC, while Beijing continues talks with Brussels over EV tariffs.

18 Dec 2025 - 9:30PMvideocam

European Union

Opinion | A complicated new EU-China showdown is quietly taking shape

For now, both sides still need each other and there is nowhere else to turn. But behind this reliance, irritation and paranoia are rising.

18 Dec 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

European Union

EU drops 2035 combustion engine ban in victory for its carmakers

Europe pivots to bolstering its crisis-hit auto sector in a major green policy retreat.

17 Dec 2025 - 2:08PM

Fumes emerge from the exhaust pipe of a car with a combustible engine in Berlin. Photo: AFP

Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng, Li Auto given approval to test ‘hands-off’ L3 cars amid slowing market

Deregulation to legalise L3 technology represents a leap forward in commercialising autonomous driving systems in China.

16 Dec 2025 - 7:45PM

A Li Auto vehicle draws crowds at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, April 25, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Automotive industry

Can Volkswagen regain its China market share with its US$3.5 billion bet?

Volkswagen, which once had 50 per cent of China’s vehicle market, has invested €3 billion in its largest R&D centre outside its home country in Hefei.

15 Dec 2025 - 4:31PM

Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng steps up ‘go global’ drive with Malaysian assembly hub for Southeast Asia

The Guangzhou-based company said it would partner with Malaysia’s EP Manufacturing to locally assemble intelligent EVs.

15 Dec 2025 - 5:00PM

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Volkswagen

China pours US$6.1b into Brazil, making it Beijing’s top global investment

Chinese miners, carmakers and tech firms are fanned out across 20 states, putting a dent in Washington’s own push throughout the region.

Driver ploughs car into crowd in Germany’s Leipzig, killing 2

Shifting gears: how foreign giants aim to catch up in China’s EV era

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Facing US and Chinese pressure, the EU must forge its own strategy

To remain competitive, Brussels must leverage its market power to engage Beijing – while aligning with Washington on its own terms.

Opinion | How China’s manufacturing is winning the Iran war

China’s production advantage is built on years of preparation, investment in renewables and cost discipline that are difficult to displace.

Chinese EV makers bet on in-house chips to make cars smarter and more autonomous

Chinese EV makers are showcasing advanced in-house chips at Auto China, powering smarter vehicles and challenging global tech leaders.

How a Chinese plastics hub shapes Tesla’s supply chain – and moulds the modern world

From car components to keyboards, this little-known industrial district in eastern China is crafting the small parts the world relies on.

China focuses on car standards to put industry in global driving seat

New five-year plan also emphasised importance of stronger standards in boosting Chinese manufacturers’ competitiveness.

Hyundai spearheads foreign EV comeback push in China with Ioniq brand

South Korean carmaker bets on local partnerships and technology as global brands prepare fresh push into China’s fast-moving EV market.

Trump’s tariff threat on European cars escalates global trade tensions

The US president said he will impose a 20 per cent tariff on all EU car imports, which could broaden a trade war already sparked with China.

Volkswagen tests China’s appetite for locally developed EVs

The three models, which will be launched over the next two weeks, use technology developed by Volkswagen’s Chinese partners.

More foreign marques face a do-or-die moment as Chinese buyers shun petrol cars

Following Skoda’s exit from China, other carmakers with falling sales are also likely to close shop this year, analysts say.

China’s electric cars and Iran war, VW pulls Skoda: 7 EV reads

From some Chinese carmakers raising prices to Xiaomi’s fresh fight with Tesla, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

VW pulls Skoda brand from China after years of falling sales

Czech brand’s mainland sales declined from 341,000 in 2018 to around 15,000 last year as domestic carmakers’ EVs won market share.

Xi and Merz pledge to strengthen ties as they rebalance amid ‘turbulent’ times

After meeting Chinese leader, German chancellor calls for closer trade relations to unlock opportunities and drive economic prosperity.

Has Trump ceded EV market to China with latest string of policy shifts?

Analysts say rolling back regulations pushes US further towards petrol cars, discourages EV innovation, and gives China competitive edge.

Stung by Trump’s policies, German multinationals cautiously pivot towards China

German firms are keen to invest more in China as they shy away from the US, but they still face issues in the Chinese market, business group says.

Brazil scraps EV tariff break for Chinese carmaker BYD amid pressure from rivals

US, European and Japanese manufacturers combined to lobby for an end to favourable rules for Chinese kit imports.

Major foreign carmakers set to stage a comeback in China this year: analysts

Foreign carmakers ‘will fight back because they will have the same products’ as their Chinese rivals, consultancy head Denis Depoux says.

China-EU deal on EVs marks rare agreement in frosty relations

The EU will waive tariffs on China-made battery electric vehicles if carmakers set a minimum price that offsets the effect of subsidies.

Opinion | EU-China ties are stuck between interdependence and rivalry

To break the pattern of trade escalations with Beijing, Brussels must move beyond tariffs and invest in its own competitiveness.

As Germany’s trade deficit with China nears new high, analysts warn of backlash

The widening gap, fuelled by a localisation push in China and fierce EV competition, is fuelling fears of political upheaval and rising protectionist sentiment in Berlin.

Discriminatory and egregious: China blasts EU’s subsidy crackdown

Commerce authorities vow to defend firms such as Nuctech and CRRC, while Beijing continues talks with Brussels over EV tariffs.

Opinion | A complicated new EU-China showdown is quietly taking shape

For now, both sides still need each other and there is nowhere else to turn. But behind this reliance, irritation and paranoia are rising.

EU drops 2035 combustion engine ban in victory for its carmakers

Europe pivots to bolstering its crisis-hit auto sector in a major green policy retreat.

Xpeng, Li Auto given approval to test ‘hands-off’ L3 cars amid slowing market

Deregulation to legalise L3 technology represents a leap forward in commercialising autonomous driving systems in China.

Can Volkswagen regain its China market share with its US$3.5 billion bet?

Volkswagen, which once had 50 per cent of China’s vehicle market, has invested €3 billion in its largest R&D centre outside its home country in Hefei.

Xpeng steps up ‘go global’ drive with Malaysian assembly hub for Southeast Asia

The Guangzhou-based company said it would partner with Malaysia’s EP Manufacturing to locally assemble intelligent EVs.

Opinion | Facing US and Chinese pressure, the EU must forge its own strategy