The Germans are Moving to China

Mercedes-Benz and Audi have announced seperately that they will be building cars in China. The next-generation Audi A3 will be built in a new facility in Foshan, China in 2013, and Mercedes has just had the first GLK made in China roll off of the assembly line. 

The new Audi plant in Foshan will be able to produce between 150,000 and 200,000 cars a year. The new facility will be able to employ 4,000 people when it opens in 2013. Audi already has a plant in Changchun, China, that will increase production to between 500,000 and 550,000 next year. 

Audi says that it is already China's biggest selling premimum model and it plans to sell over 300,000 vehicles in China in 2012.

Mercedes has also just had its first GLK-Class produced in China. It sells about 20,000 of them each year in China. 

Mercedes also builds the long-wheelbase E-Class and the C-Class in China, and it will start building three more models and building four-cylinder engines for local use in China in 2013. 

"As early as 2015 we expect to locally produce two-thirds of all Mercedes-Benz passenger cars sold in China. The start of production of the GLK is another important milestone towards this goal,” said Ulrich Walker, Chairman & CEO of Daimler Northeast Asia.

Mercedes has sold 168,940 vehicles so far this year in China, and it intends to sell over 300,000 by 2015.