BERLIN, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- German auto parts manufacturer Webasto is entering into a long-term cooperation with Chinese Lithium-Ion producer Wanxiang A123 to pool their automotive industry expertise, the German firm announced on Tuesday.
The Munich-based company said that a first joint project would involve the development and production of a battery module for the Chinese market which will be integrated into its own battery system for commercial vehicles.
Having mainly focused on the production of sliding- and panoramic roofs, heating- and cooling systems, and convertible roofs in the past, Webasto recently announced that it intended to branch out into battery production for electric vehicles.
"The development of the battery production in China is an important step for us towards our goal to become one of the globally leading system partners in the battery business," Freddy Geeraerds, a member of the Webasto management board, explained on Tuesday.
Geeraerds said that Webasto products fulfilled the highest quality standards across the entirety of its range, a pledge which it would now also be able to ensure for its Chinese customers thanks to the cooperation with Hangzhou-based Wanxiang A123.
Webasto has already opened its 10th factory in China in 2018 and is scheduled to complete the 11th in 2019. Last year, the company produced 6.2 million roofs for German, Korean, Japanese and U.S. carmakers in China.
The company's chief executive officer (CEO) Holger Engelmann highlighted earlier that around one third of Webasto's gross revenue of 3.5 billion euros (3.96 billion U.S. dollars) were generated in China in 2017.
As the producer of sunroofs for major carmakers including Volkswagen, Volvo and Ferrari, the family-owned automotive supplier has encountered a particularly favorable commercial environment in China thanks to the enthusiasm of local motorists for convertibles.
Webasto currently employs 3,000 local staff, including 200 engineers working in research and development in Shanghai.
