Volkswagen is investing about 700 million euros ($800 million) in the expansion of the plant which will create up to 1,000 new jobs plus additional jobs for suppliers. The first electric car from Chattanooga is to roll off the production line in 2022 and over the next few years the firm says it will open eight MEB plants in Europe, North America and China. VW’s aim is to build the EV production capacity needed to sell more than 1 million electric cars per year by 2025.
“The US is one of the most important locations for us and producing electric cars in Chattanooga is a key part of our growth strategy in North America” said Dr. Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen AG. “The management team lead by Scott Keogh is committed to continuing to increase our market share in the coming years. Together with our ongoing investments and this increase in local production, we are strengthening the foundation for sustainable growth of the Volkswagen brand in the US.”
The first electric car to roll off the production line in Chattanooga will be the ID. CROZZ1 SUV model. Volkswagen will also offer the ID. BUZZ1 in North America, the reinterpretation of the legendary VW bus. Both cars are part of Volkswagen’s new ID. family, which will make optimum use of the possibilities of e-mobility. Among other features, the vehicles will offer long ranges, a spacious interior, dynamic driving behavior and a new level of digital connectivity.
Volkswagen wants to make the electric car popular and has embarked on the largest electric offensive in the automotive industry. Over the next few years, the brand will be launching more than 20 full electric models. The first of these will be the compact ID., with production starting at the Zwickau plant in Germany from the end of 2019. By 2025, the Volkswagen brand intends to sell at least 1 million electric cars per year throughout the world. Further MEB plants are being developed in Emden, Hanover, Dresden and Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic. The Chinese market will be served by the Anting and Foshan plants. All in all, the Volkswagen brand is investing a total of 11 billion euros in future-oriented technologies by 2023, including 9 billion euros in e-mobility.
For additional information:
