World’s most unlikely automotive partnership: China’s LDV, MG, and Audi – report

Chinese automotive congolmerate Shanghai Automotive Industries Corporation (SAIC) – the state-owned parent company of brands including LDV and MG – has announced it is partnering with Germany's Audi brand on a new electric-car platform.

SAIC told Chinese media outlet Jiemian it has entered a strategic partnership with Audi to develop electric vehicles, confirming a report from Drive's Greg Kable earlier this month.

According to sources close to Audi, the Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) – the electric-car platform being developed by its parent company Volkswagen Group – has suffered a number of delays, with its launch date blowing out from 2026 to 2029 at this stage.

The setbacks have forced Audi to look elsewhere for its near-future range of electric vehicles.

It's not the first time a German automotive giant has turned to China for a solution.

As previously reported, BMW partnered with China's Great Wall Motors on the forthcoming Mini, with the iconic hatchback sharing its underpinnings with the GMW Ora – one of the cheapest electric cars on sale in Australia.

MORE: Audi looking to China for electric-car platform amid internal delays

Volkswagen also has a joint venture with SAIC, with its models sold in the country under the 'SAIC Volkswagen' banner – a partnership dating back almost four decades – which celebrated its 26 millionth vehicle being built in January 2023.

SAIC also has a relationship with General Motors, extending across Buick, Cadillac, and Chevrolet brands.

Exactly which components Audi will use from SAIC isn't known at this stage, but the two parties "agreed that the Chinese auto market is undergoing unprecedented transformation, so they will further deepen the strategic cooperation," according to the translated report.