In 2023, when Volkswagen turned to electric-vehicle maker Xpeng to fix its struggling business in China, executives at the German group praised the deal as a shortcut to developing cars suited to China's fast-moving auto market.
According to the plans made public, Volkswagen expected to draw on Xpeng's capabilities and development pace to shorten product cycles and bring to market EVs designed specifically for Chinese consumers.
Reality has diverged from that road map. The original ambition of a rapid leap forward is running into difficulties during implementation, according to the reporting.
The original article was headlined "INSIGHT: Volkswagen bet on Xpeng to save its China business. It's not going to plan," reflecting the gap between the expectations set when the partnership began and the project's actual progress.
