VW Unveils Electric Vehicle Software Specifically Designed for China

(Bloomberg) — Volkswagen AG will roll out a new digital architecture to make its electric vehicles more appealing in China, where it has fallen behind local champion BYD Co. Ltd.

The so-called China Electrical Architecture — developed with VW’s Chinese partner XPeng Inc. — will allow advanced features such as autonomous driving to be continuously upgraded over-the-air, the German automaker said Wednesday. However, the first cars to use the new platform will not hit the market until 2026, while similar features and connectivity are already common in many Chinese EVs.