Europe's largest automaker Volkswagen is doubling down on its single largest market, showcasing 13 China-specific models at the 2026 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2026) under its "In China, for China" strategy to meet evolving customer demands.
Thomas Schaefer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, said that a dedicated team of 3,000 engineers in Hefei City of east China's Anhui Province is now driving the brand’s engineering strategy, fostering a "two-way" learning process between China and Germany that is reshaping the global tech leader's DNA.
"First of all, it's great to be back here. As always, the speed and the dynamics are amazing. What surprised me most was the focus of our local team that we've built up in Anhui [Province], about 3,000 engineers. They are working there, focusing on Chinese demands, connecting with our global team back home in Germany," said Schaefer.
"'All in' means we are totally focused on China. China is our single biggest market in the world. It's a fantastic market for benchmarking speed and technology. It fits very much in our global strategy. We have global DNA and global strategy, as a tech leader, but at the same time, very much focused regionally. Here in China, we have a total focus on customer demands," he said.
Schaefer emphasized the two-way benefits of collaboration between the two countries.
"It's a great collaboration between the teams. The engineering teams on both sides, we learn so much from each other. This brought a lot of new impulses to our teams. You can see the cars here. You can also see the cars in Europe. Both can see Volkswagen coming back together again," he said.
With the theme of "Future of Intelligence," this year's auto show, which opened Friday, is scheduled to run until May 3. A total of 1,451 vehicles, including 181 debut models and 71 concept cars, are being showcased at the ongoing event.
Volkswagen brand CEO emphasizes China’s role as top priority at Auto China 2026
