大众汽车集团暂停了在印度的电动汽车项目投资，直到其与亿万富翁萨詹·金达尔旗下的JSW集团的潜在合作伙伴关系有更大的明朗性。
AG is halting investments in an electric-vehicle program for India until it has greater clarity on a potential partnership with billionaire Sajjan Jindal’s JSW Group.
知情人士透露，这家德国公司已完成设计工作，一旦与印度合作伙伴的谈判告一段落，便可利用最初为中国开发的低成本电动汽车架构迅速推进该项目。但他们表示，公司在承诺投入更多资金前，正等待一份更清晰的商业计划。上述人士未获授权公开谈论此事。大众汽车集团和JSW集团的代表分别未回复置评请求。
The German company has completed design work that would allow it to quickly ramp up the project using a low-cost EV architecture initially developed for China when its discussions with the Indian partner close, said people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly about it. But it’s awaiting a clearer business plan before committing more money to the project, they said. Representatives for Volkswagen Group and the JSW respectively didn’t reply to separate requests for comment.
此次暂停投资之际，这家车企正在推行全球降本增效行动，迫使其在支出上更加审慎，以应对欧洲需求疲软以及来自中国车企日益激烈的竞争。公司计划将投资削减约15%，并已规划裁减数万个岗位，以降低成本。
The pause comes as the carmaker pursues a global cost-cutting drive, forcing it to be more disciplined about spending as it contends with weak demand in Europe and intensifying competition from Chinese automakers. The company is seeking to cut investment by about 15% and has outlined plans to eliminate tens of thousands of jobs as part of an effort to lower costs.
彭博新闻此前报道，大众汽车去年已决定在寻找本地合作伙伴的同时，将在印度开发电动汽车的成本削减三分之一。进一步放缓投资的决定，可能会拖延其在印度市场更有效竞争的努力，而更严格的燃油效率法规已增加了车企实现产品电动化的压力。
VW had already decided to slash the costs of developing EVs in India by a third last year as it scouted for a local partner, Bloomberg News has reported. The decision to slow further investment risks delaying its effort to compete more effectively in the Indian market even as tighter fuel-efficiency rules have increased pressure on automakers to electrify their lineups.
大众汽车集团目前旗下大众和斯柯达品牌在印度均无纯电动车型销售，而竞争对手塔塔汽车乘用车有限公司、马恒达公司，以及JSW合作伙伴上汽集团旗下的MG品牌，连同越南的VinFast、特斯拉公司和比亚迪公司等外资车企，正争相分食这块蛋糕。
Volkswagen Group currently sells no battery-powered cars in India through either its namesake or Skoda brands, even as rivals including Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd., Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and JSW’s partner SAIC Motor Corp.’s MG brand — along with foreign carmakers like Vietnam’s VinFast, Tesla Inc. and BYD Co. — vie for a piece of the pie.
大众汽车与JSW集团上月宣布，正在探索合资开发、生产并销售乘用车，覆盖印度市场及出口业务，产品线涵盖内燃机车型、纯电动汽车、插电式混合动力和混合动力车型。这家德国车企旨在攻入印度这个更大且快速增长的市场，目前其在印度市场份额微乎其微，主要通过斯柯达大众汽车印度私人有限公司运营。
VW and JSW announced last month they are exploring a venture to develop, build and market passenger vehicles in India and for export, covering internal-combustion engines, battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and hybrids. The carmaker aims to crack into India’s larger and fast-growing market, where it holds only a token share, most of it via Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt.
在与印度车企马恒达的谈判破裂后，这家德国制造商已花费近两年时间寻找印度合作伙伴以分摊成本。
The German manufacturer has spent nearly two years searching for an Indian partner with which it can share costs after talks with Indian automaker Mahindra broke down.
知情人士透露，大众一直在考虑将其所谓的CMP 21电动架构的一个版本引入印度。但知情人士称，为了将成本降低到足以具有竞争力的程度，大众需要采购更多印度本土零部件并在当地生产车辆。
VW has been considering bringing a version of its so-called CMP 21 electric architecture to India, according to the people familiar with the matter. But it would need to source more Indian components and build the vehicle locally to reduce costs enough to make it competitive, the people said.
印度的电动汽车市场规模仍相对较小，但得益于更多平价车型上市，销量正在快速加速增长。根据印度汽车注册数据库数据，9月电动乘用车销量同比近乎翻倍，超过3.5万辆。
India’s EV market remains relatively small, but sales are accelerating rapidly thanks to the growing availability of more affordable models. Sales of electric passenger vehicles nearly doubled year-on-year in September to over 35,000 units, according to India’s car registration database.