Volkswagen continues to restructure car development for the Chinese market. The new ID. ERA 5X is being created as part of the "In China, for China" strategy, where key technologies are developed directly in China, taking into account local requirements.

The main thing here is not the design and not even the powertrain. Volkswagen uses the China Main Platform (CMP) and the CEA electronic architecture. CMP is being developed by Volkswagen Group China together with the concern's Chinese enterprises, and CEA was created by Volkswagen Group China, CARIAD China, and XPeng.

CEA is built on a zonal principle and uses central computing units instead of a large number of disparate electronic controllers. Volkswagen states that the number of electronic units can be reduced by approximately 30%. The architecture is also designed for over-the-air software updates and the integration of Chinese driver assistance systems.

However, calling the ID. ERA 5X a completely "Chinese Volkswagen" would be incorrect. This is a joint product of the concern and a Chinese enterprise, but the company deliberately transfers a significant part of the development, software, and component supplies to the local ecosystem.

The reason is simple: speed. Volkswagen expects to reduce the time to market for new cars by approximately 30%, and the cost of CMP by approximately 40% compared to the MEB platform.