"Volkswagen is open to allowing Chinese carmakers to take over its excess production lines in Europe, as it grapples with falling demand and rising competition from the very same companies eyeing its factories.

Executives at Audi and VW’s eponymous flagship brand told the Financial Times that partnering with Chinese makers of EVs, which are looking to expand their footprint in Europe, was one option to address declining sales in the region.

“For sure, that is thinkable,” said Gernot Döllner, chief executive of Audi. Such a move would “lower the entrance barrier of these competitors”, adding: “I believe in free trade.”

Gernot Döllner, chief executive of Audi, beside an Audi Q6 e-tron prototype during a media day for the Munich Motor Show in Munich, Germany in 2023

Audi has partnered with MG-maker SAIC to build EVs in China that appeal to local consumers — a type of collaboration that Döllner said Chinese brands might also seek to recreate in Europe.

In a separate interview, David Powels, chief financial officer at the VW brand, would also not rule out the idea of Chinese carmakers taking over idle production lines at the company’s German plants."

https://www.ft.com/content/87ac3c34-905d-4379-a108-366a5fd20e0c

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