Chinese electric vehicle (EV) enterprises, including Xpeng and Chery, have continued to sign cooperation agreements with EU automakers despite the bloc's decision to impose temporary tariffs on Chinese EVs. Industry insiders and experts said this showed China's choice for a win-win situation in strong contrast to the bloc's protectionism. They noted that China and the EU have promising prospects for cooperation in the EV sector and urged the EU to face up to healthy competition with Chinese car companies. Xpeng and the Volkswagen Group are expanding their platform and software cooperation to jointly develop a zonal electric/electronic architecture, which will turn pure electric models of the Volkswagen brand into software-defined vehicles in China, according to a statement. Ralf Brandstätter, Board Member of Volkswagen for China, said it is a clear proof of the excellent cooperation between Volkswagen Group China Technology Co and Xpeng. “This collaboration between Xpeng and Volkswagen is a case of Chinese car companies exporting technology, which will lead to a win-win situation,” Zhang Xiang, Secretary General of the International Intelligent Vehicle Engineering Association, told the Global Times.
Chery and Jaguar Land Rover said on June 19 that they had signed a letter of intent covering strategic cooperation. Their joint venture company will launch and produce a series of electric products, equipped with Chery's electrification platform and using Jaguar Land Rover's authorized Freelander brand. Leapmotor and Stellantis announced on May 14 that they had approved the establishment of Leapmotor International, a JV that is 51% owned by Stellantis and 49% by Leapmotor. The JV has the exclusive right to conduct export and sales operations of Leapmotor vehicles to all other markets outside of China, as well as the exclusive right to produce the company's vehicle products locally. Chinese carmakers have mastered the core technology of new-energy vehicles with a high degree of intelligence, which can provide European consumers with cost-effective EVs, while building factories overseas can drive the development of the local industry chain, the expert noted.
While China continues to share its EV technology with the world, Chinese car companies are protesting the EU's protectionism and defending their rights and interests. Since China is an important trading partner for Europe, disputes should be resolved as peacefully as possible and in a legally compliant manner, Cui Hongjian, Professor at the Academy of Regional and Global Governance under the Beijing Foreign Studies University, noting that establishing close cooperation with China is the best long-term solution for the development of the European industry, the Global Times reports.
