Volkswagen, Toyota, Geely expanding in Sichuan

FAW-VW Automobile Co., Ltd., Sichuan FAW Toyota Motor Co., Ltd., and Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. are busy expanding their business in Chengdu, Sichuan province, southwest China.

FAW-VW, a joint venture formed by China FAW Group Corporation and Germany's Volkswagen AG, has started preparations for its complete vehicle base in Chengdu. The base, with a designed yearly output of 350,000 units and an investment of EUR 700 million, is predicted to kick off construction in May 2009.

Sichuan FAW Toyota, a 50-50 joint venture between FAW and Japan's Toyota Motor Corp., is progressing in the relocation and expansion of its workshops in the city.

The venture started building its new factory on July 5 2008. The project, with a total investment of CNY 3.6 billion, will form an annual production capacity of 30,000 units, said earlier reports.

This September, Geely Automobile, a private automaker in China, will complete part of the main body of its Chengdu-based project, which is under construction now.