On July 22nd, Volkswagen Group and Xiaopeng Motors jointly announced the signing of a strategic cooperation and joint development agreement for electronic and electrical architecture technology, and will fully invest in developing industry-leading electronic and electrical architectures for Volkswagen's CMP and MEB platforms produced in China. The signing of the joint development agreement not only marks the acceleration of the development of electronic and electrical architecture in China, but also lays the foundation for expanding the scope of strategic cooperation between the two parties in electronic and electrical architecture technology.
The electronic and electrical architecture plays a decisive role in the digitalization of automobiles. As the central control center that manages all important electronic functions, it is also a digital hub that connects the hardware platform with the lower structure of the car, including all basic components such as the powertrain and chassis. The CEA architecture is the first localized electronic and electrical architecture developed by Volkswagen Group, which will meet the specific needs of the Chinese market in terms of technology and economy, and promote Volkswagen Group to become a leader in the era of intelligent connected electric vehicles in the Chinese market.
Starting from 2026, Volkswagen's pure electric models produced in China will be equipped with the China Electronic Architecture (CEA), which is based on regional control and quasi central computing. This includes models developed on the new CMP platform and future plans to launch MEB platform models in China. This move will reduce system complexity, improve cost efficiency, and accelerate the digitization of the vehicle lineup in China, thereby promoting the group's transition to the era of intelligent connected vehicles. This new electronic and electrical architecture is jointly developed by Volkswagen (China) Technology Co., Ltd. (VCTC), CARIAD China, and Xiaopeng Motors. CARIAD China will play a key role in this project and integrate the latest generation of advanced autonomous driving assistance solutions (ADAS) and intelligent cockpit software functions for the development of the new architecture.
By 2026, we will launch a powerful new electronic and electrical architecture called CEA. The CEA architecture is a comprehensive technology solution specifically designed for the Chinese market and will be applied to Volkswagen's domestically produced pure electric vehicles based on CMP and MEB platforms, "said Bernd, Managing Director of Volkswagen Group responsible for China operations and Chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Group (China). This move is another testament to the excellent cooperation between Volkswagen (China) Technology Co., Ltd. (VCTC), CARIAD China, and Xiaopeng Motors. The use of CEA in Volkswagen's pure electric vehicle models will not only enhance the competitiveness of the group's global electric vehicle platform in the Chinese market, but also reduce technological complexity and optimize cost-effectiveness. This is another important milestone in the strategic development of the group's' in China, for China 'strategy, and also a crucial step in our transformation towards a leading intelligent connected electric vehicle manufacturer
Xiaopeng Motors Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng said, "The cooperation in electronic and electrical architecture is the third important milestone we have achieved in our long-term strategic partnership with Volkswagen Group within a year. With the high trust between Volkswagen and Xiaopeng Motors, as well as the concerted efforts of our engineers, the development of our cooperative projects has progressed rapidly and significant synergies have been achieved. I am very much looking forward to expanding our technological cooperation scope and deepening our win-win strategic partnership
Meng Xia, CEO of Volkswagen's passenger car brand in China, said, "Creating a product lineup that meets customer needs is our relentless pursuit. We not only introduce cutting-edge technology to our models, but also make our products more price competitive through localization. Through the cooperation and development between Volkswagen, CARIAD China, and Xiaopeng Motors, we can gain a competitive advantage in the fiercely competitive market and create greater value for our customers
In addition, according to the joint development agreement, Volkswagen Group and Xiaopeng Motors will actively explore opportunities for further cooperation to expand the application scope of the jointly developed electronic and electrical architecture. Both parties have reached a consensus on promoting strategic cooperation in electronic and electrical architecture, and hope to further strengthen the strategic partnership.