Volkswagen Group’s works council chief Daniela Cavallo said the automaker must do more to understand the Chinese market to capture greater market share, after missing its electric vehicle sales targets in the country last year.
“Volkswagen must get its act together in China and understand customers’ needs better, particularly in software,” Cavallo said in an interview with Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung published on Wednesday.
The automaker sold 70,625 EVs from its growing ID family in China last year, missing its goal of 80,000 to 100,000 cars, with production affected by regional COVID-19 outbreaks as well as chip-related issues.
Foreign automakers have struggled to compete with their Chinese counterparts in the world’s largest car market, with U.S.-based Tesla the only non-domestic brand among the top 10 EV sellers in the country.
“For a German driver, it may not be important to have a karaoke system on the central screen, but many Chinese customers love such features and are disappointed when VW does not offer them,” Cavallo told the FAZ.