Audi and SAIC Create Shanghai Engineering Joint Venture for Next-Generation EVs
Audi has formed a joint innovation engineering hub with SAIC Motor in Shanghai, tasking the facility with creating four upcoming battery-electric models.
- 300 staff
- 4 models
- 49%
- 2028
What Happened
German automaker Audi and local joint venture partner SAIC Motor have launched the AUDI Innovation & Technology Center in Shanghai. Operating as an independent joint venture entity, the facility will execute complete end-to-end engineering for four upcoming electric passenger cars tailored exclusively for the Chinese domestic market.
The operational structure distributes equity across SAIC with 49 percent, Audi holding 41 percent, and Volkswagen Group China retaining ten percent. Staffed by roughly 300 engineers, the organization is led by General Manager Matthias Pfister alongside Deputy General Manager Shan Yunwei.
300employees
planned engineering and development staff
4vehicles
second product wave for Chinese market
2028year
targeted market debut for first ADP 2.0 vehicle
Engineering activities will concentrate on smart electric architectures, software-defined vehicle integration, and generative cabin interfaces using the Audi Advanced Digitized Platform 2.0. The first production vehicle derived from the Shanghai facility is scheduled for commercial release in 2028.
Why this matters
The creation of the AUDI Innovation & Technology Center transitions the partnership from joint manufacturing into dedicated localized engineering. Developing four models on the Advanced Digitized Platform 2.0 allows the premium brand to shorten software integration cycles for Chinese buyers.
Terms in This Story
- AITC
- AUDI Innovation & Technology Center, the dedicated joint engineering venture between SAIC Motor and Audi in Shanghai.
- ADP 2.0
- Advanced Digitized Platform 2.0, the modular electric vehicle architecture developed jointly by Audi and SAIC for the Chinese market.
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