Volkswagen to launch more than 20 new electric vehicles in China

The launch of green cars will help with China’s serious smog problem.

The well known German car brand, Volkswagen AG, is throwing its support behind the country’s go green campaign, an effort to combat the growing air pollution problem in the nation, and will be producing over 20 electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid car models for China.

The various EV models are set to be available to Chinese consumers by the end of 2018.

By 2020, China’s goal is to put 5 million EVs on the road and Volkswagen’s plan is certain to help the nation reach its target. Other automotive manufacturers that are also interested in helping China meet its goal include Tesla Motors, BMW and Nissan.

According to Reuters, Jochern Heizmann, the head of Volkswagen Group China, recently told reporters in Shanghai that by 2020 there may be “some hundred thousand” fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the country from Volkswagen, many of which would be made locally. Heizmann said that “In the near future, Volkswagen will be offering Chinese drivers over 20 new energy vehicles, from small cars to large-sized SUVs, from plug-in hybrids to pure electric cars.”

For the past five years China has been working on giving its city dwellers incentives to buy plug-in-in hybrid electric and all electric cars. Local and national governments offer license plate price reductions and sales tax exemptions for these cars.

Volkswagen intends to launch its pure electric vehicles, the e-up!, this year.

The German car company also has plans to launch its e-Golf and the Golf GTE, a plug-in hybrid model, in 2015. Eventually, other car models like the Audi and Passat cars may also become electric. Heizmann commented that the company has a strategy that allows it to manufacture cars with greater cost efficiency. With the strategy “we don’t need a different car factory. The e-Golf can be produced in the same body shop and assembly line as a normal Golf,” Heizmann said.

Last year, Volkswagen Group was the top foreign automaker in China and the company is hoping to maintain this position in electric vehicles. Globally, the company currently has six EV models.