Gasgoo Munich- On Oct. 21, at the 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Group Oliver Blume and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Volkswagen Group China Thomas Ulbrich sent a shared, unmistakable signal: Volkswagen's smart-tech push in China has cleared the "layout phase" and shifted into "delivery mode."
Blume laid out a direct timeline: L2++ full-scenario advanced driver-assistance is now officially deploying, with L3 readiness targeted for 2027. Yet he quickly added a caveat: "Consumers only accept technology they can trust." Speed isn't the objective. Safety, quality, and reliability remain non-negotiable foundations for Volkswagen.
Image source: World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference
Thomas Ulbrich translated that principle into engineering reality. Established three years ago, the Volkswagen China Technology Center (VCTC) in Hefei is now the automaker's largest R&D hub outside Germany, employing over 3,000 engineers. With local decision-making and hardware-software decoupling, product development cycles have been compressed from five to six years down to three, or even less.
The true foundation is the CEA — the "China Electronic Architecture." Co-developed with XPENG, it supports more frequent over-the-air updates and applies to both ICE and EV models alike. The first model built on this XPENG partnership, the ID. UNYX 08, rolled off the assembly line in Hefei this March. CEA-equipped vehicles are now steadily entering the lineup.
On the autonomous driving front, the HS8 full-scenario ADAS solution — developed by CARIZON — has entered mass production. Starting in the third quarter, it will be fitted across seven all-new models from three joint ventures, debuting on the ID.ERA 5S.
Three core initiatives — platforms, electronic architecture, and autonomous driving — once scattered across separate teams and staggered over years, have been consolidated into a single, locally developed system in China. Volkswagen aims to achieve L3 readiness by 2027–2028 and will self-develop L3–L4 products for the Chinese market.
The product pipeline is accelerating, too. This year, over 20 new-energy Volkswagen Group models are hitting the road. Engineering efforts in the second half will zero in on the ID.ERA 5S, the ID.AURA T6, and the Jetta brand's inaugural EV, the M6.
Exports are drawing even more attention. Leveraging the CEA-based development platform, Volkswagen has already shipped cars to the Middle East and Central Asia, with ASEAN and South America next. The output of China's R&D is no longer serving China alone.
"If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together," Thomas Ulbrich said, closing his remarks. Volkswagen is out to prove that technology built at China speed can earn the trust of global markets, too.
