Asian Tech Press (Nov 24) -- Volkswagen Group China said on Friday it will launch an electric car platform for China's entry-level market within three years.

The German automaker's Chinese arm said it is accelerating innovation in China, practicing its "In China for China" strategy and expanding its presence in Hefei to make it an advanced production, research and development, and innovation center.

Volkswagen Group (China) Technology Company, Volkswagen's largest R&D center outside of its headquarters in Germany, will develop the automaker's first electric vehicle platform for the Chinese market.

Derived from the group's Modular electric drive matrix (MEB) platform, the new platform targets further development of the Chinese market segment, Volkswagen Group China said.

"From 2026 onwards, the group will use the platform as a basis for developing pure electric models specifically tailored to Chinese customer needs," it said.

The new platform has a development cycle of 36 months, about one-third shorter than those for previous Volkswagen platforms.

Volkswagen Group China said 1,200 expert talents are already working at Volkswagen Group (China) Technology Company in Hefei. And it expects the company to have more than 3,000 employees by the end of next year.