Volkswagen, Stellantis show EV confidence, with lessons from China
Volkswagen and Stellantis showcased electric vehicles at the Paris auto show, highlighting lessons from Chinese rivals and partners. Stellantis said Opel is developing an electric SUV with Leapmotor, while Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said the company sees no current need for a Chinese joint venture in Europe.
1. Stellantis works with partners
Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said the company is using joint ventures with Leapmotor and Dongfeng to study Chinese competitors’ technology and identify areas where the partners can complement its capabilities. The group’s partnership with Leapmotor includes a mid-sized electric SUV being developed with Stellantis’ German brand Opel. Opel CEO Florian Huettl said the project showed remarkable speed.
2. Volkswagen rules out joint venture
Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said the automaker sees no current need for a Chinese joint venture in Europe, pointing to opportunities it has developed in China. Volkswagen’s partnership with Xpeng focuses on the Chinese market. Analyst Stefan Bratzel said Volkswagen and Stellantis are partnering with Chinese companies in different ways, and that European automakers now have to accept China as a teacher.
