Volkswagen and Xpeng extend partnership

German carmaker Volkswagen and Chinese partner Xpeng are broadening their collaboration on an electric vehicle platform for China. Their development will be used on specific Chinese market cars as well as models based on VW’s MEB platform.

In April, both partners announced that Xpeng’s in-house developed E/E Architecture (integrated software and hardware) would be integrated into Volkswagen’s China Main Platform (CMP) from 2026 onward. This is different from the partnership for two “smart e-cars” that could be based on the Xpeng G9.

Stronger and faster together

No one will contradict that Chinese carmakers are leading the way in electric vehicles. German carmaker Volkswagen is aware of that fact and has entered into an agreement with leading Chinese carmaker Xpeng. In April, both partners announced having entered into a framework agreement on technical collaboration.

With that collaboration, Xpeng’s in-house-developed E/E architecture will be integrated into Volkswagen’s China Main Platform (CMP) from 2026. That architecture is core to vertically integrated software and hardware technologies. In other words, it reduces system complexity, with fewer control units and higher performance.

For CMP and MEB

At first, that integration was only intended for VW’s CMP platform – not to be confused with Stellantis’ Common Modular Platform; this is VW’s architecture for EVs in China.

However, recently, both parties announced that their collaboration will extend to the MEB platform, which is used for the VW ID.7 or Skoda Enyaq, to name but a few. According to Volkswagen, this should not only reduce complexity but also costs. It’ll only be for Volkswagen vehicles developed and sold in China.

“This project is also the next milestone in consistently implementing our ‘in China for China’ strategy – with a clear focus on Chinese customers and technological innovations,” said Ralf Brandstätter, who leads Volkswagen AG in China.

“From 2026, all all-electric vehicles of the Volkswagen brand in China will be equipped with this powerful and efficient architecture,” he added.