FAW Volkswagen production up 16 pct in first 10 months

Automobile production for Volkswagen AG's Chinese joint venture, FAW Volkswagen Automobile Co., Ltd., rose by 16 percent to reach 831,267 units in the first 10 months of the year, sources with the company said Wednesday. In October, FAW Volkswagen churned out 91,777 automobiles, of which 73 percent, or 67,150 units, were manufactured as Volkswagen vehicles, while the remaining 24,627 units were categorized as Audis, according to general manager An Tiecheng. An said FAW Volkswagen's third plant in southwest China's Sichuan province has contributed 4,870 units since opening last month. An said his company plans to assemble 95,055 vehicles in November and will use a more aggressive sales strategy to match the company's production goals. FAW Volkswagen previously predicted sales of 1 million vehicles for the year, 120,000 units greater than the number sold in 2010. Headquartered in the city of Changchun in northeast China's Jilin province, the joint venture currently has three assembly plants and an engine and transmission plant. The company's fourth assembly plant, located in the city of Foshan in south China's Guangdong province, is expected to go operation in mid-2013 with an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles.