XPeng and VW to co-develop EV architecture

Chinese automaker XPeng and Volkswagen, one of the world's largest automotive giants, are expanding the scope of their collaboration. The partnership formed last year will now see the two companies co-develop a new EV architecture.

Or rather they will work on the existing Xpeng architecture that is going to underpin future VW models in China.

XPeng has made significant progress with its software and hardware solutions for both infotainment and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) - two things Volkswagen's been struggling with. In fact the challenges with developing its own software is what made VW come knocking at Xpeng's door last year.

The shared architecture will ideally mean faster development speed and significant cost savings for the two companies.

The first Volkswagen EVs with the jointly developed architecture will hit the roads of China in 2026.

Via