Volkswagen builds new plant in South-Central China

The new plant in Changsha is scheduled for completion end of 2015 and will manufacture approx. 300,000 vehicles per year. A complete production facility with press shop, body shop, paint shop and final assembly is being built. Priority is being given to reducing energy and water consumption as well as CO2and solvent emissions, and to cutting back waste volumes in line with the 'Think Blue. Factory.' programme.

According to Prof. Dr. Jochem Heizmann, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, "We will meet our environmental responsibility in Changsha and set another milestone in resource efficient production with the new factory."

The Changsha plant is part of the €9.8 billion (S$15.8 billiion) investment programme being realised by the two Chinese joint ventures in the period to 2015. The aim of the investment projects financed from the cash flow of the two joint ventures Shanghai-Volkswagen and FAW-Volkswagen is to consolidate the Volkswagen Group's leading position on the Chinese passenger car market.

The investments focus on developing new models and expanding production capacity. The Changsha factory is one of seven new plants to be built in China this year and over the coming years. The plants will also create new skilled jobs.

Together with its partners FAW-Volkswagen and Shanghai-Volkswagen, the Volkswagen Group currently builds 20 models of the Volkswagen, SKODA and Audi brands in China.