In line with the theme of hosting a "green" Olympics, Volkswagen will provide environmentally friendly vehicles for the Chinese mainland leg of the Olympic torch relay.

Volkswagen Group China (VGC), along with its joint venture partners, Shanghai Volkswagen (SVW) and FAW-Volkswagen (FAW-VW), were named the official automotive suppliers for the Chinese leg last week.

"It is a great honor for Volkswagen to have been chosen as the official supplier for the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay," said Dr Winfried Vahland, president and CEO of VGC.

"The 2008 Beijing Olympic Torch Relay will make Olympic history as the longest torch relay ever, covering the broadest geographical area and involving the largest number of participants.

"We will do everything we can to make this the greatest torch relay ever."

At the announcing ceremony, Volkswagen unveiled that up to the end of 2007, all of Volkswagen Group's joint ventures have been awarded SO14001 certification for meeting strict environmental protection standards.

To mark the announcement, SVW and FAW-VW unveiled the four models selected as the official vehicles for the torch relay, the Touran, Octavia Mingrui, Magotan and Sagitar, each of which is emblazoned with the unique logo of this milestone event.

Volkswagen will also provide a range of related services as well as technical and logistical support for the torch relay on the Chinese mainland, which is scheduled to run from May 4 to August 8. This segment will last 97 days and span over 40,000 km.

VGC, SVW and FAW-VW will establish a fleet of 959 new vehicles especially for the event. Of these, 346 will form the core motorcade, another 583 will serve as administrative and support vehicles, and 30 will be used for commercial purposes.

The torch relay motorcade will travel through 113 cities and regions across 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities of China. It will move atless than eight km/hr for 8 to 12 hours every day.

SVW and FAW-VW will also provide a dedicated team of professionals, comprised of more than 200 of the company's best technical support and after-sales service staff, to provide 24/7 support along every step of the journey.

The automotive giant views its Olympic sponsorship deal as its "best investment in China" to date.

"Sponsoring the Beijing Olympic Games is the best opportunity to show Volkswagen's support for the development of China," said Vahland.