HEFEI, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- German carmaker Volkswagen and its Chinese partner Anhui Jianghuai Automobile (JAC Motors) on Monday started the construction work on its research and development center for their new energy vehicle (NEV) joint venture.

The R&D center of the passenger car facility will be dedicated to the development of electric cars, technology for the Internet of Vehicles, autonomous driving and other future technologies.

The center is located in the economic and development zone of Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, where JAC Motors is headquartered.

On Nov. 28, JAC Motors, Volkswagen China and its Spanish brand SEAT signed a latest Memorandum of Understanding to further confirm the development direction of the joint venture.

JAC Volkswagen, founded in December 2017, is China's first Sino-foreign joint venture that is dedicated to new energy vehicles.

Li Ming, president of JAC Volkswagen, said the company will embrace the auto industry's transformation and upgrading that points to an electric and smart future.