Volkswagen Accelerates EV Shift: Phasing Out MEB Platform, Launching China-Specific CEA Architecture from 2026

Recently, the Audi Q4 e-tron has seen a significant price cut—down to around RMB 150,000—but still struggles to boost sales, highlighting the weak competitiveness of Volkswagen’s MEB-platform-based EVs in China. Models like the ID.3 and ID.4 X were once popular, but they are now increasingly overshadowed by high-value domestic EVs such as the BYD Dolphin and Geely Galaxy E5. Issues including high costs, outdated configurations, and slow charging have become more pronounced. SAIC Volkswagen openly acknowledged that due to high development and material costs, as well as structural constraints, the ID series finds it difficult to compete in the current price war. In response, Volkswagen Group China announced on January 28 the launch of the CEA (China Electronic Architecture), an electronic and electrical architecture developed specifically for the Chinese market. Starting in 2026, this new architecture will be deployed across locally produced all-electric Volkswagen models. Featuring a zonal control design, CEA supports high computing power, intelligent cockpits, advanced driver-assistance systems, and full-vehicle OTA updates, while also reducing system complexity and costs. Volkswagen’s three joint ventures in China will introduce five new models based on the CEA platform, accelerating their localization and intelligent transformation in a bid to regain a competitive edge in the new energy vehicle market.