Volkswagen Group has started producing electric motors in China for a new generation of electric vehicles set to launch next year.
The automaker’s transmission plant in the north port city of Tianjin began output of an electric motor, codenamed APP310, last week.
The electric motor will be first installed in the ID4, a compact crossover in the VW brand’s ID series of EVs, Stephan Wollenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Group China, said at an event in the Tianjin plant last week, marking the start of production.
The motor also will be used in other MEB-based models the VW Group will roll out in China, he added.
MEB is a modular platform VW Group has developed for a range of new EVs.
The ID4 is assembled at the German group’s joint ventures with SAIC Motor Corp. and China FAW Group Corp. The vehicle is expected to go on sale in China in early 2021.
VW Group plans to introduce eight ID models in China by the end of 2023, Wollenstein said last month.