en.Wedoany.com Reported - Volkswagen Group plans to introduce AI agents in some of its China models, enabling drivers to control vehicle functions through voice commands.

The automaker unveiled its "Agentic AI for All" roadmap at the preview of the 2026 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2026), which is being held in Beijing this week.

The development is part of Volkswagen Group's "In China, for China" strategy, which focuses on developing localized systems for the Chinese market. The in-vehicle agents will enable "highly intuitive, human-like interaction between the vehicle and the customer."

Models equipped with this new technology will all be based on Volkswagen's new scalable China Electric Architecture (CEA). This architecture was jointly developed by Volkswagen Group, its software subsidiary Cariad, and Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer XPeng specifically for the Chinese market. These include the ID.AURA T6, a mid-size SUV co-developed with Chinese manufacturer FAW, which made its production debut at the Beijing Auto Show.

Each agent integrates a locally trained large language model, enabling natural interaction with vehicle occupants. This differs from basic voice assistants that can only respond to simple requests with limited functionality. Volkswagen stated that each agent "understands user intent, executes complex multi-system actions, and makes contextual decisions."

Thomas Ulbrich, Chief Technology Officer of Volkswagen China, told CNBC that to make the car more like a "companion," Volkswagen created a tool with "personality." Ulbrich also stated that the agent leverages technology from local Chinese companies Tencent, Alibaba, and Baidu. Volkswagen said security concerns were addressed by designing the system to run entirely on-board rather than in the cloud, with data never leaving the vehicle.

The addition of in-vehicle agents marks the beginning of Volkswagen's Agentic AI roadmap. The automaker anticipates further developments with the arrival of the next-generation CEA 2.0 next year, which will unify "intelligent" driving capabilities and cockpit functions through a more powerful central computing system. Volkswagen stated in a press release that the foundation for this upgrade will enable efficient vehicle operation through a multi-agent AI system, consisting of coordinated driving agents, cockpit experience agents, and ecosystem service agents.

Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, praised the debut of agents in the CEA series as a breakthrough. In a statement, he said that with this step, Volkswagen Group becomes the first global automaker to deploy agentic AI at scale across its entire model portfolio in China. However, Volkswagen did not mention when similar technology might be introduced in other markets.

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