Official: Audi and SAIC to collaborate on EV development

Audi and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) person agreed to co-operate connected electrical conveyance improvement successful a determination aimed astatine strengthening their respective positions successful the Chinese car market, according to a connection made by the Chinese state-owned car shaper connected Thursday.

The announcement of the statement comes aft Audi entered into talks with SAIC – proprietor of MG Motor – connected plans to root an electrical conveyance level from the Chinese group's IM Motors marque arsenic an alternate to the delayed Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) architecture of its Volkswagen Group parent. 

“All stakeholders hold that the Chinese car marketplace is successful the midst of the biggest translation successful its history. Therefore we volition jointly enactment connected a strategical attack that guarantees our aboriginal success,” SAIC is quoted by Bloomberg.

Audi’s plans to basal aboriginal electrical vehicles connected the SSP architecture person been thrown into disarray by continued delays successful bundle development, including a caller operating system, which goes nether the interior moving rubric of E3 2.0.

The E3 2.0 bundle is considered a cardinal constituent of the SSP architecture, which is planned to connection level 3 autonomous driving technology.

As an alternate for models to beryllium sold successful China, Audi is considering utilizing the electrical conveyance level developed by SAIC for the IM L7 saloon and IM LS7 SUV. It supports an 800V electrical architecture and was conceived for models with wheelbases ranging from 2800mm to 3200mm successful length.

Audi, nether unit to amended income successful China, announced Gernot Doellner would replace Markus Duesmann arsenic CEO past period arsenic portion of moves aimed astatine restructuring the German car maker.