► Plant demonstrates core competences in green development and production

► German Chancellor gains an overview of Volkswagen’s vocational training activities in China

► About 7,300 employees produce 450,000 vehicles per year

Wolfsburg/Chengdu/Beijing, July 6, 2014:  Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany today visited the Volkswagen plant in Chengdu, southwest China. Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, and Prof. Dr. Jochem Heizmann, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group China, welcomed the guests together with Xu Jianyi, Chairman of FAW, and Zhang Pijie, President of FAW-Volkswagen.

“Our objective is to work sustainability on a long-term basis throughout the world. Here in China, we are setting high environmental standards at our 17 locations and investing more in eco-friendly technologies and plants than ever before. Volkswagen is banking on China’s innovative power because this market provides key impetus for our industry through ground-breaking new trends,” said Winterkorn.

During her visit, Mrs. Merkel also inspected the production area of the Chengdu plant. Here, sustainability is practised right down to the last detail. About 90 per cent of the materials used in vehicle production come from local suppliers. In addition, the paintshop at Chengdu is the first facility in Asia to be equipped with the “EcoDry Scrubber”, an environmentally friendly technology that reduces water consumption for the painting process by up to 90 per cent.

Chancellor Merkel also visited the training centre and the assembly shop of the Chengdu plant and expressed special interest in the possibilities of vocational training in China. Apart from six different vocational training courses, FAW-Volkswagen also offers the possibility of a dual course of studies at Chengdu. Mrs. Merkel talked to young trainees and learned about their experience within the professional families. Each year, about 20,000 courses are completed by employees at the training centre, to improve further the quality of production and to raise educational standards.

By opening training centres at all its plants in China, Volkswagen was the first company to introduce the principle of dual vocational training in China. “People are the key to our success. That is why we are committed to educating young talents,” said Heizmann. “Our objective is to offer innovative, eco-friendly products and reliable service. Efficient use of resources and environmental compatibility are also among the top priorities at our plants. In such a fast-growing market as China, a well-trained workforce is essential for mastering these challenges.”

He continued: “The Chengdu plant is a symbol of the long-term cooperation between Volkswagen and China. We create highly qualified jobs here. This plant is a cornerstone for the sustainable development of the Chinese automobile industry and a key element in our Go West strategy.”

The Chengdu plant is the third vehicle factory in the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture. It is also the first Volkswagen plant in West China. About 7,300 people are employed at Chengdu, producing about 450,000 units of the Jetta and Sagitar models each year as well as components. The plant started vehicle production in 2011.

As well as Chengdu, FAW-Volkswagen also has car plants in Changchun, northeast China, and Foshan, south China. With the other joint venture, Shanghai Volkswagen, the Group operates vehicle plants in Shanghai, Nanjing, Yizheng, Ningbo and Urumqi, and is constructing a new plant in Changsha, opening in 2015. Volkswagen is now the leading automaker in China – with 20 million vehicles sold over the past 30 years. Together with its Chinese joint venture partners, the Volkswagen Group is to invest a total of €18.2 billion in new plants and products between 2014 and 2018 – this will be the largest investment programme in the history of the Chinese automotive industry.