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Volkswagen break ground in its new Chattanooga site in North America. The company plans to start assembly by 2022
Fremont, CA: Volkswagen of America initiated the construction of its electric vehicle production facility at the Chattanooga site. The Volkswagen's North American base for electric vehicles will commence the assembly from 2022. The Volkswagen Group of America executives were accompanied by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Germany's US Ambassador Emily Haber, plant leaders, production employees, and the community leaders at the groundbreaking of the plant site.
“This is a big, big moment for this company,” said Scott Keogh, president, and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. “Expanding local production sets the foundation for our sustainable growth in the US Electric vehicles are the future of mobility, and Volkswagen will build them for millions, not just millionaires."
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Volkswagen started the long-range EV production early November in Zwickau, Germany, and has plans to roll out assembly worldwide, including in Anting and Foshan, in China, by 2020 and in the German cities of Emden and Hanover by 2022. The Chattanooga site is deemed as VW's North-American hub for EV manufacturing.
$800 million is the amount Volkswagen has invested in the Chattanooga facility budding requirements of about 1000 additional jobs. The production data of the ID. CROZZ will initially be amassed in Zwickau. Production of the EV vehicle will commence in Chattanooga in 2022.
The scaling up of the plant comprises the addition of 564,000-square-foot to the body shop. Volkswagen will assemble both the internal combustion engine along with battery electric vehicles in the same assembly line. The company announced its plans to construct a 198,000–square-foot plant for the assembly of EVs battery packs for the Chattanooga site.
“With Volkswagen’s expansion, Tennessee is on the cutting edge of the move to electric vehicles, and our workforce is up to the challenge,” Tennessee Gov. Lee said. “We look forward to a continued partnership with VW and the growth of advanced manufacturing in Chattanooga and beyond.”
Ambassador Haber added, "The United States plays a central role in German carmakers’ global activities. German carmakers like Volkswagen have already invested here in Tennessee and the US as a whole, creating jobs and training young employees. I wish Volkswagen of America and this new facility for electric vehicles all the best and a lot of success."
Volkswagen Chattanooga CEO, Tom du Plessis, quoted that the expansion depicts the commencement of renewed, high-tech processes in the plant. The jobs will be filled for the new assembly line by early 2020 and will proceed as needed for ramping up production, he said. Several positions that were added for the extension include supervisors, specialists, and a variety of engineers specializing in electrical, software, mechanical, manufacturing, chemical, and quality.
“Electric vehicle and electric vehicle battery production require new and different technical skills than those we currently use,” du Plessis said. “We're working with our colleagues abroad, as well as with the Volkswagen Academy, to ensure our team members are well-prepared.”
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