As its new general manager, Jia Jianxu, a seasoned executive at the state-owned Chinese manufacturer, was announced by Volkswagen's joint venture with SAIC Motor
Jia, who was born in 1978, has over 20 years of expertise in the automotive sector and was in charge of SAIC's growth into the European market, according to a statement from SAIC-VW. The joint venture is 50% owned by both automakers.
Jia has worked with SAIC to develop its intelligent cockpit products as general manager of Yanfeng Automotive Interiors since 2018.
With its I.D. series, Volkswagen is aiming to compete with Tesla and Chinese manufacturers in the world's largest EV market. Jia's hiring comes as Volkswagen is stepping up its efforts in electric vehicles (EVs) in China.
According to the China Passenger Vehicle Association, SAIC-VW sold 91,761 all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in 2022, compared to roughly 1.8 million sales for BYD and 439,770 for Tesla.
In the People's Republic of China, Volkswagen Group China is a branch of the German automaker Volkswagen Group. The greatest brand in China by sales is VW Group China, which has 3.14 million automobiles sold in the domestic market.
When the VW Group first started corresponding with its Chinese counterparts in 1978, the success story really got underway. The first joint venture of the Volkswagen Group in China, SAIC Volkswagen Company Ltd, established its Shanghai headquarters in 1984. The second joint venture of the Volkswagen Group was founded by the establishment of FAW-Volkswagen Corporation Ltd. in Changchun in 1991.
The third joint venture of the Volkswagen Group, JAC Volkswagen, which focuses on NEV production in China, was established in 2017. The joint venture changed its name to VW (Anhui) Automotive Company Limited in December 2020 after the Volkswagen Group upped its ownership position to 75%.