Volkswagen’s joint venture with SAIC Motor was again the top-selling JV brand in China. With over 130,000 electric ID cars sold in China last year, the SAIC-Volkswagen ID series also secured the best-selling joint venture EV series.
Volkswagen ID was the top-selling EV series in China
SAIC-Volkswagen released 2024 sales figures, revealing over 1.2 million vehicles sold last year. Over 1.14 million were the VW brand, making it China’s top-selling joint venture brand.
After launching the “new ID family smart models ” with more options and lower prices in the second half of the year, SAIC-VW said its EV models have been seeing higher demand.
In 2024, the company sold a record 130,222 ID electric vehicles, an increase of 24% from 2023. SAIC-Volkswagen said its ID family secured “the title of joint venture pure electric sales champion.” The ID.3 led the way as the top-selling joint venture EV and A-class hatchback in China last year.
Volkswagen’s ID.3 competes with other top-selling EV models in China, like the BYD Dolphin. BYD’s Dolphin EV starts at around $13,700 (99,800 yuan). Meanwhile, after slashing prices last year, the ID.3 now starts at around $17,800 (129,888 yuan).
Other EV models from SAIC-VW’s ID family include the ID 4 X and ID 6 X, both of which received new “Smart Editions” last year. The ID 4 X starts at about $22,000 (159,888 yuan), while the larger ID 6 X SUV starts at roughly $35,500 (259,888 yuan).
Like most legacy automakers, Volkswagen has struggled to keep up in China with a wave of low-cost domestic rivals hitting the market.
BYD sold nearly 510,000 passenger vehicles in December, its third straight month with over 500K in sales. Despite an aggressive year-end sales push, BYD’s 1.76 million EVs sold in 2024 were just shy of Tesla, which delivered over 1.78 million vehicles last year.
As it looks to overcome a wave of new rivals, BYD and other Chinese EV leaders are slashing prices and introducing new sales promotions.
Legacy automakers, like Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, GM, and several others, are being squeezed out of the market.
In November 2024, Volkswagen extended its 40-year partnership with SAIC Motor until 2040. As it looks to turn things around, VW is advancing its “In China, for China” strategy with a new generation of EVs set to launch by 2026.
SAIC-VW plans to launch two EVs based on its new CMP platform as early as 2026. The company will also introduce three plug-in hybrids and two-range extender variants for the first time. By 2030, SAIC-VW will launch 18 new models, 15 of which will be developed exclusively for China.
The Volkswagen Group will bring 40 new models to the Chinese market over the next three years alone. Half of them will be electrified. By 2030, the group plans to offer over 30 electric cars in China.
Source: CarNewsChina, SAIC-VW
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