Production of Volkswagen Polo starts in Yizheng
31 July 2012
The Volkswagen Group has inaugurated a new plant for Shanghai Volkswagen (SVW) in Yizheng, Eastern China, which will have an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles.
As the second plant producing this model in China, Yizheng will make production considerably more flexible. It is also planned to produce ŠKODA models here in the next stage. Theplant, located about 300km to the North-West of Shanghai, will create about 3,700 new jobs in the region.
In addition, a technical testing centre, a training academy to provide initial and advanced training for employees and an energy centre have been constructed on the site, which has a total area of about 1.3 million square metres.
Volkswagen is setting new standards for sustainable, resource-efficient automobile production in China. Yizheng uses geothermal energy for the heating and cooling of the factory halls, while for recharging transfer trucks at the plant as well as employees' e-bikes, solar panels are used throughout.
Volkswagen Group has a target to make its worldwide production 25 per cent more environmentally compatible by 2018. Advanced production processes coupled with measures to reduce energy consumption are the key elements in this strategy.
China is Volkswagen Group's largest sales market. In 2011, the company delivered 2.26 million vehicles to customers in China. In the first half of 2012, deliveries rose by 17.5 per cent to about 1.30 million units. Volkswagen expects to increase annual production capacity in China to about four million units by 2018.