VW China seeks alliance with battery giant CATL
VW and CATL have recently signed a memorandum of understanding regarding their planned cooperation in China. According to a statement on the Chinese network Weibo, the agreement includes Volkswagen China Technology – a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group China – as well as the joint ventures SAIC-Volkswagen, FAW-Volkswagen and Volkswagen Anhui. Topics that CATL and the German carmaker want to tackle include advanced and cost-effective battery concepts and products, as well as innovations in areas such as recycling, battery replacement, V2G, CO2 reduction and transparency in the supply of raw materials.
“In this way, Volkswagen Group (China) will better grasp the market opportunities, promote the battery strategy, and provide Chinese consumers with high-quality new energy vehicle products,” the automotive group announced on the social network. Volkswagen is known to be fighting for its market share in China: in 2024, the Group delivered 2.9 million vehicles there across all drive systems – ten per cent fewer than in 2023. To counteract this, VW announced an investment of 2.5 billion euros in China in April 2024. The cooperation with Xpeng for the technical development of an E/E architecture is also aimed at the local market.
According to new figures from South Korean market researcher SNE Research, CATL remains the world’s dominant manufacturer of EV batteries – with a global market share of 37.9 per cent in 2024.
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