The Shanghai Securities News has reported that Volkswagen’s sales in China are expected to reach 800,000 units this year citing Su Weiming, Vice Executive President of Volkswagen for China as the source.

Su mentioned that for the first eight months of this year through August, VW China’s sales have increased by 28.8 percent year-on-year reaching nearly 600,000 units. Meanwhile, import orders for VW vehicles are also expected to exceed 10,000 units this year.

Additional news on Volkswagen but this time on the Wolfsburg-based automaker, it finally decided to join the competition for the world’s largest number one automaker. Europe’s largest automaker will be competing with the reigning world’s largest number one General Motors and Toyota Motors which is second in rank.

According to reports from Reuters, the Wolfsburg-based automaker has announced its desire to become the next world’s largest automaker by 2014 or 2015.

Michael Kern, Head of Sales and Marketing for the Volkswagen brand was quoted by the German industry magazine Auto Motor und Sport as saying: "We want to overtake Toyota in volumes and by profitability. In the next three years we are going to bring 12 new models to the market and we are going to expand our presence in the United States, Russia, India and other markets."

The German industry magazine also quoted unnamed company sources as saying that Volkswagen is planning to surpass Toyota in terms of production volumes by 2014 or 2015. At present, Volkswagen has already exceeded 6 million of manufactured vehicles and striving for more according to the Auto Motor und Sport.

And of course if Volkswagen plans of toppling down Toyota it has to prepare itself for a hybrid war since this is where the Japanese automaker really excels.

In an interview with Germany’s Automobilwoche, Volkswagen’s development head said that the company’s future models are to be built on hybrid-drive systems.

The introduction of the rear-engine small model Up! Concept at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show simply implies that Volkswagen will likely invest in both diesels, hybrids, and even on full electrics.  Automotive News also thinks that Volkswagen will offer both full and mild-hybrid formats.