KATHMANDU: Volkswagen has opened its first full-process R&D and testing center outside Germany in Hefei, China.
The new facility spans about 100,000 square meters and includes more than a hundred advanced laboratories. It brings software development, hardware testing, and vehicle validation under one system.
With this, Volkswagen can now carry out complete R&D, compliance approval, and mass-production preparation for new platforms in China. The set-up is expected to cut overall development time by around 30 percent.
The center focuses on the Group’s first Central Computing and Regional Control Electronic Architecture for the Chinese market. It follows an 18-month development cycle under a Software Defined Vehicle process.
Local R&D and supplier collaboration are also expected to lower costs, with some key projects seeing reductions of up to 50 percent.
Engineers in Hefei can test up to 500 battery systems each year, along with electric drive units, thermal management and other core systems.
The facility also includes an EMC lab, durability test benches, and a city test track, creating a full closed loop from design to validation.
Volkswagen plans to expand these capabilities further. A new Functional Integration Test lab, one of only two worldwide is scheduled to start operations by mid-2026.
