Chinese companies eye Austria as China rolls out EV and autonomous‑vehicle plan

China has outlined a development plan that aims to place the country among the world’s top auto producers by 2030, calling for electric and other new‑energy vehicles to dominate new passenger‑car and commercial‑vehicle sales and for autonomous‑driving features to be deployed on highways, urban expressways and selected city roads. The plan also sets targets for conventional‑car fuel use at 3.3 liters per 100 km and electricity consumption for pure‑electric cars at 11.5 kWh per 100 km.

At the same time, Chinese companies are expressing interest in establishing production and development operations in Austria, covering the full automotive supply chain from manufacturers to battery and software firms. René Tritscher, head of the Austrian Business Agency, says Austria’s established automotive ecosystem, R&D capabilities and experience with contract manufacturers such as Magna Steyr are attracting that interest, and joint projects already see Magna Steyr assembling electric cars for Xpeng and GAC in Graz.