- Audi and SAIC launch the Audi Innovation Technology Center in Shanghai to develop AUDI-branded vehicles locally.
- AITC will build ADP 2.0 and focus on software-defined and AI-defined vehicles, intelligent cockpits, and ADAS.
- Four new AUDI models will be co-developed for China with the first model slated to debut in 2028.
On Sept. 3, Audi and SAIC Group announced an expansion of their strategic partnership with the establishment of the Audi Innovation Technology Center (AITC) in Shanghai.
The jointly established R&D entity will be dedicated to developing vehicles under the AUDI brand.
It covers the full development process from software and electrical/electronic architecture to complete-vehicle engineering.
AITC’s mandate goes beyond conventional vehicle engineering. It has already begun development of Audi’s Advanced Digitized Platform (ADP) 2.0.
The center will initially focus on software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and AI-defined vehicles (AIDVs), with future development covering technologies for intelligent cockpits and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).
Under the plan, AITC will use the platform to jointly develop four new AUDI models, expanding the brand’s existing lineup. The first model is scheduled to launch in 2028.
The move extends the Audi-SAIC partnership beyond joint production and vehicle launches into local R&D and product definition.
The partnership comes as Audi adjusts its product strategy in China.
In 2025, Audi and SAIC launched the new AUDI brand, positioning it as a product portfolio developed specifically for the Chinese market.
Over the past year, the first two models, the E5 Sportback and E7X, have entered the market.
Audi has sought to adopt a development cycle more closely aligned with China’s market as competition in intelligent EVs intensifies.
The two models have shown a clear divergence in market performance.
Third-party platform data showed that the E7X was delivered to 3,007 customers in July, placing it among the top three best-selling all-electric SUVs priced around RMB 300,000 for the second consecutive month.
By comparison, E5 Sportback deliveries totaled just 173 units that month.
The disparity makes localized development of future products more important.
Compared with the traditional approach used by premium automakers of relying on global models for the Chinese market, the AUDI brand will need to respond more quickly to Chinese consumers’ preferences in product definition, intelligent features and software experience.
In terms of management appointments, Audi has named Matthias Pfister as general manager of AITC, while SAIC has appointed Shan Yunwei as deputy general manager.
Pfister previously headed SAIC Volkswagen’s Shanghai Pre-Production Center and has extensive experience working across German and Chinese R&D systems as well as in the Chinese automotive market.
AITC’s Shanghai headquarters also signals a greater allocation of Audi’s R&D resources to China.
The partnership will draw not only on Audi’s engineering capabilities, but also SAIC’s local R&D infrastructure, China’s supply chain and resources across the software and intelligent-vehicle industries.
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