Germany-based auto giant Volkswagen will open a new plant to produce DL382 transmission, a kit for Audi cars, in north China's Tianjin municipality in 2016.
Volkswagen Automatic Transmission (Tianjin) Co. Ltd. said Tuesday that the project, which involves investment of 576.6 million euros (643.4 million U.S. dollars), has had its civil engineering works completed and installed.
The first phase is slated for operation in May 2016, with an annual production capacity of 240,000 units, which will eventually increase to 480,000, the company said.
Set up in 2012, Volkswagen Tianjin unveiled its production line for DQ380 direct-shift gearboxes (DSG) in November 2014, which can produce 450,000 of the advanced gearboxes. Production capacity is expected to hit 1.2 million by 2016.
China is Volkswagen's largest market worldwide. Volkswagen Group China delivered 3.68 million automobiles to the market in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong in 2014, up 12.4 percent year on year.
PLA soldiers operating vehicle-mounted guns in drill
Beauties dancing on the rings
Blind carpenter in E China's Jiangxi
Top 10 highest-paid sports teams in the world
In photos: China's WZ-10 armed helicopters
UFO spotted in several places in China
Certificates of land title of Qing Dynasty and Republic of China 
Cute young Taoist priest in Beijing
New film brings Doraemon's life story to China in 3D
China-S.Korea FTA sets positive precedent
Ferry carrying 458 people sinks in Yangtze River
Mecca of Marxism
Bring them homeDay|Week
