- SAIC swaps leaders across brands and suppliers to tighten vehicle-component coordination under intensifying EV competition.
- SAIC Volkswagen replaces GM Tao Hailong with internal HR exec Wu Yun as EV transition pressures mount after 31.2% H1 sales drop.
- Huayu Automotive gains Tao while Xu Ping moves to SAIC‑GM, signaling focus on supply‑chain cost control and platform integration.
On July 29, domestic media reported that Tao Hailong, current general manager of SAIC Volkswagen, will move to Huayu Automotive Systems as general manager. Wu Yun, currently executive deputy general manager of human resources and organization at SAIC Volkswagen, will succeed Tao as the company’s new general manager.
At the same time, Zhang Quan, purchasing department manager at SAIC Volkswagen, is expected to take a deputy executive position at a SAIC-affiliated company.
Wu has spent most of his career within the SAIC Volkswagen system, overseeing areas including brand marketing, corporate strategy and organizational management. Zhang has mainly worked in procurement, with experience in supply chain management and cost control.
The reshuffle marks SAIC’s second major executive adjustment in recent days. On July 28, SAIC-GM announced that Xu Ping, former general manager of Huayu Automotive Systems, would replace Lu Xiao as SAIC-GM’s new general manager. Lu Xiao will move to SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle as general manager.
Within a short period, SAIC has adjusted senior executives across its independent brands, joint ventures and component businesses. The moves highlight the group’s effort to reorganize its management structure as competition intensifies amid the industry’s shift toward electrification.
The latest personnel changes come at a critical stage for SAIC Volkswagen’s new energy transition. SAIC data shows that SAIC Volkswagen sold 338.6K vehicles in the first half of 2026, down 31.2% year on year. Traditional internal combustion engine vehicles remain the company’s main sales driver.
However, SAIC Volkswagen is accelerating its EV product rollout. The company plans to launch multiple ID. ERA models covering pure electric, plug-in hybrid and range-extender powertrains. Among them, the ID. ERA 9X, Volkswagen’s first range-extender SUV developed for the Chinese market, went on sale in April. The model has achieved more than 10K deliveries, becoming a key product in SAIC Volkswagen’s EV transformation.
SAIC-GM is also pushing forward with its electrification strategy. In 2025, SAIC-GM recorded 562.2K retail sales and remained profitable for five consecutive quarters. Its new energy vehicle sales reached 88.8K units, ranking among the leading joint venture automakers in China’s EV segment.
Huayu Automotive Systems has become a key link in the latest management reshuffle. As SAIC’s core component supplier, Huayu Automotive generated revenue of RMB 183.999B ($27.2B) in 2025, up 8.49% year on year. Its net profit attributable to shareholders reached RMB 7.207B ($1.07B), rising 7.51%.
For SAIC Volkswagen, future growth in the EV market will depend heavily on cost control, supply chain efficiency and integration of key technologies. Huayu Automotive is not only a major supplier for Volkswagen models but could also support SAIC Volkswagen’s new energy products through platform development and cost optimization.
Tao Hailong’s move from SAIC Volkswagen back to Huayu Automotive, combined with Xu Ping’s transfer from Huayu Automotive to SAIC-GM, reflects SAIC’s effort to strengthen coordination between vehicle manufacturing and component operations.
For SAIC Group, the new management team faces a key challenge: maintaining its traditional vehicle base while accelerating EV launches, improving competitiveness through organizational optimization and supply chain integration.
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