Xpeng and Volkswagen Begin Production of the First Joint-Platform EV
· automotive
The first electric vehicle built on the joint platform between Xpeng and Volkswagen has rolled off the line at Xpeng’s Guangzhou factory. The vehicle is a compact SUV that will be sold by Volkswagen in China and in select export markets. The partnership was announced in 2023 and confirmed with a binding agreement in 2024.
Why it matters
The Xpeng-Volkswagen platform deal was the first major partnership between a Chinese EV startup and a legacy Western automaker that included shared vehicle architecture, not just software licensing. The first vehicle is the proof point: if it ships on schedule, it sets a template for other Chinese-Western partnerships in the EV space. Xpeng brings the electrical architecture and ADAS software; Volkswagen brings supply chain scale and the dealer network.
What is new
- First Xpeng-Volkswagen joint-platform vehicle rolls off the line
- Compact SUV body, expected to be priced from 150,000 CNY
- Built on Xpeng’s 800V electrical architecture
- ADAS software co-developed by Xpeng’s autonomous driving team
- First deliveries expected in Q4 2026