Construction of Audi FAW NEV Company in Changchun, China, is advancing according to plan. In June 2022, the joint company of the brand with the four rings and its Chinese partner FAW (First Automotive Works) laid the cornerstone for the new production site.
The factory exclusively produces all-electric Audi models. With its state-of the-art facility, the company aims to set new standards in digitalization, efficiency, and sustainability.
Helmut Stettner, CEO of Audi FAW NEV Company Ltd., said, “Audi FAW NEV Company assumes a central role in Audi’s electrification strategy for China. It is the first Audi plant in China to exclusively produce all-electric vehicles. We are also establishing a comprehensive industrial ecosystem centered around our new plant in Changchun. It will drive improvements throughout the supply chain and advance the region’s economic development.”
The new plant covers an area of around 154 hectares – making it slightly larger than the Audi plant in Neckarsulm. It can produce up to 150,000 fully electric Audi models based on the PPE for the Chinese market annually.
Production will start with three models from the Audi A6 e-tron and Q6 e-tron series. Production will encompass the entire automotive production value chain, from press shop, body shop, and paint shop to assembly.
The site will also include a battery assembly facility where high-voltage batteries for the China-specific PPE models are produced. To keep logistics distances short, a large proportion of suppliers will be established within 30 km of the company. One measure to this end is the development of an exclusive supplier park next to the factory.
Audi FAW NEV Company will attract and foster international talent: When production commences, around 3,000 employees of various nationalities will work at the new plant.
From the start, Audi has designed and planned the production facilities using digital methods and tools, including digital twins and 3D technology. This way, detailed requirements for workshops, production lines, and other infrastructure could be considered at an early design stage.
International collaboration thanks to VR technology: Construction experts from Ingolstadt are able to visit the construction site virtually and discuss the current state of construction in real time with their colleagues in China thanks to virtual reality.
In a first for the Volkswagen Group, all maintenance, logistics, and manufacturing processes at one site will be interconnected via a single IT architecture.
Millions of data points will be integrated and shared on a central control platform. Intelligent fault detection, real-time monitoring, and prediction algorithms make production more reliable, the company said in a media release.
