The Volkswagen Anhui joint venture, majority-owned by Volkswagen, has begun production of the Cupra Tavascan electric sports utility vehicle in China for the European market. Nio, XPeng, Li Auto, and BYD, all Chinese electric vehicle companies, reported strong delivery numbers for the month of December, demonstrating continued growth in the domestic market. Porsche development driver Lars Kern achieved a lap time of 7:07.55 minutes on the Nürburgring in a pre-series Taycan. Volkswagen's shipments in China dipped 3 percent in the nine months ended 2023 from the year before to 2.3 million units, prompting the company to invest around EUR1 billion to set up a wholly-owned unit in Hefei that will focus on the R&D of intelligent connected autos. Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers Nio, XPeng, Li Auto, and BYD reported strong delivery numbers for the month of December, demonstrating continued growth in the domestic market.