Volkswagen's CARIAD sets up unit in China

Beijing (Gasgoo)- On April 28th, Volkswagen Group announced the establishment of its CARIAD Chinese subsidiary, advancing its determination in China’s auto industry. 

Photo credit: Volkswagen

CARIAD is an independent automotive software company of Volkswagen Group that consolidates the Group's software competencies. Its China team will strive to develop software products for Chinese consumers, exploring unified and scalable software platforms, ADAS, autonomous driving, and next-generation connective functions with its headquarters. 

Photo credit: Volkswagen

China is currently leading the world in digitization and innovation. The forming of the Chinese team allows Volkswagen to better cater to the growing market demands in China. CARIAD will develop, iterate, and perfect its products with “China speed” under local customer experience and expectation, said Chang Qing, CEO of CARIAD China. 

The Chinese CARIAD team will also work together with Volkswagen’s three Chinese joint ventures, namely FAW-Volkswagen, SAIC Volkswagen, and Volkswagen (Anhui). 

Specifically, CARIAD China will co-develop a unified and scalable software platform with its European headquarters that is compatible with all brands under the Volkswagen Group while satisfying the various needs of different markets. The technology stack will feature L4 autonomous driving technologies and be ready for public eyes in 2025.

CARIAD’s Chinese subsidiary currently has a roster of over 600 staff members, and expects the number to double by the end of 2023, 90% of which will be local software talents. Meanwhile, the company is constructing R&D centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Hefei, gradually forming a dispersed national R&D network.