Since taking office on March 1 of this year, Song Feiming, the CEO of the Audi SAIC collaboration project, has been in his new role for six months.
On September 2, having relocated to Shanghai, he sat down for an exclusive interview with the media to reveal the latest developments of this collaborative project.
According to him, the original plan was for both parties to gradually launch three models on the collaborative smart digital platform, but the project’s progress has exceeded expectations, with the three vehicles advancing almost simultaneously.
Song Feiming, CEO of the Audi SAIC collaboration project
“The first concept car will be unveiled by the end of this year, and the first production model is set to launch in the second half of next year. Within one to one and a half years after the first car is released, we will also introduce an SUV and a large sedan. All three new vehicles will enter entirely new market segments that Audi has not previously covered,” Song Feiming stated.
There had been reports indicating that the new products developed in collaboration between Audi and SAIC would not feature Audi's four rings logo. When asked for confirmation, Song Feiming noted that he could not disclose more details on this matter for now. “The real vehicles will soon be in front of everyone, and by then everything will be clear; let’s wait and see,” he expressed.
As a project CEO without a physical company, Song Feiming’s role involves uniting various parties, including Audi’s headquarters in Germany, Audi China’s Beijing team, and SAIC Group and SAIC Volkswagen, to leverage existing structures more efficiently for this collaboration. However, the final plan must receive joint approval from both Audi’s board and SAIC's board before it can be implemented.
Song Feiming mentioned that Audi’s headquarters in Germany sent 50 product development experts to Shanghai, hailing from 12 countries and regions. Their mission is to serve as a bridge between headquarters, SAIC Group, and SAIC Volkswagen, integrating technical aspects related to product development, promotion, manufacturing, and ensuring timely resolution of issues.
“In the past, we worked with Porsche to develop the PPE platform and collaborated with the Volkswagen Group on the MEB platform. Now, we are actively engaging in a new partnership with local Chinese partners. However, this time is different from before, as we are stepping outside the group’s internal cooperative framework for the first time. Nevertheless, the goal remains the same: to achieve technological and conceptual sharing at a higher dimension, ensuring that the new vehicles truly embody the pure brand DNA of an Audi car,” he elaborated.
Throughout the interview, Song Feiming emphasized that the new cooperative models must be Audis and must be entirely new Audis, meaning they should capture the attention of entirely new customer segments. In contrast to the PPE platform products, those developed on the smart digital platform specifically for Chinese customers will focus more on innovative technological experiences.
“In the past six months, I have felt incredibly at home and have received tremendous support from various dimensions within SAIC. In my view, there is no place more suitable for innovation than Shanghai.” Song Feiming candidly acknowledged that this collaborative project poses significant challenges. As a young joint venture, SAIC Audi indeed faces various hurdles during its development.
“It's like running a marathon; when you realize your pace is off, it doesn’t mean you should give up the race. Instead, you learn to adapt to the competition and adjust your stride. Now, Audi and SAIC’s cooperation has entered a new phase, and we are poised to create powerful complementary advantages.” Song Feiming remarked, “We aim to be the first luxury brand to achieve success in the premium electric vehicle segment. This may sound ambitious, but the road ahead is long and arduous, and we are committed to working diligently with a marathon mindset.”
We hope to enhance Audi's brand value and market positioning through this new project.
