Volkswagen Anhui, a Chinese joint venture majority-owned by German carmaker Volkswagen, has decided to make a significant change in its electric vehicle architecture for future models. According to a report from local media outlet AutoPix, the company will no longer use the MEB (modular electric drive matrix) platform’s electric architecture. Instead, Volkswagen Anhui will be adopting the CEA (China Electrical Architecture) architecture, which it has collaborated on with Xpeng, a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer listed on the NYSE.
The decision to switch to the CEA architecture comes after disappointing sales of the ID.UNYX, Volkswagen Anhui’s electric compact coupe SUV that was launched in July. Despite a few large customer orders, only a few hundred units of the ID.UNYX have been sold since its release, as per the report.
The first model from Volkswagen Anhui based on the CEA architecture is expected to start production in late 2025 and hit the market in 2026. Consequently, the launch of the model that was originally planned to follow the ID.UNYX will be delayed until after the introduction of the CEA architecture-based model.
Initially, Volkswagen Anhui had aimed to launch four models by 2026, including the ID.UNYX and other products based on the MEB platform. However, with the shift to the CEA architecture, the company will now focus on introducing new models after 2026, based on the “CEA architecture + CMP platform.” The CMP platform will replace the current MEB platform for vehicle manufacturing.
All of Volkswagen’s existing ID. range of products from its joint ventures in China, along with the Audi brand’s Audi Q4 e-tron, are currently based on the MEB platform. In April of this year, Volkswagen announced its collaboration with Xpeng to develop the CEA architecture, aligning with Xpeng’s EEA (Electrical Electronic architecture) architecture.
Volkswagen Anhui’s ID.UNYX was launched on July 17, with a starting price of RMB 209,900 ($29,320). In an effort to boost sales, the company recently announced a RMB 40,000 discount for customers purchasing the ID.UNYX before December 31, bringing the starting price down to RMB 169,900. Additionally, customers who buy the vehicle before November 8 will receive cash compensation.
Looking ahead, Volkswagen Anhui plans to launch products based on the CEA architecture starting in 2026, with prices expected to range between RMB 140,000 and RMB 180,000, as reported by AutoPix. This strategic shift marks a new chapter in Volkswagen Anhui’s electric vehicle lineup, as it aims to enhance its competitiveness in the rapidly evolving EV market.
