Ever since Volkswagen unveiled the ID. Buzz in early March, the automaker constantly had to answer questions regarding the possibility that the electric van will also be made in the United States.
VW of America CEO Scott Keogh entertained that possibility when speaking to InsideEVs and other US media outlets on March 21, saying that he cannot rule out US production of the ID. Buzz.
“There could be an opportunity if demand is beyond what Hanover can deliver. We already have experience localizing the MEB platform.”
Now, reports claim that Volkswagen is considering an expansion of its Chattanooga plant in Tennessee. A source close to the matter told Reuters that the automaker plans to build an electric pickup and the ID. Buzz at the new facility.
While building the ID. Buzz in the US would not be a big surprise, the electric pickup would. VW has not confirmed plans for an electric pickup yet, although VW Group CEO Herbert Diess and VW of America CEO Scott Keogh have vaguely hinted at such plans.
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The report ties in with another one from Germany’s Manager Magazin from earlier today. The publication wrote that Volkswagen was planning to build a second production plant in the US that would increase its annual capacity to up to 600,000 vehicles.
The business monthly cited shareholders as saying that the new plant could be built next to the existing Chattanooga factory and that the automaker is also considering a new battery cell plant.
The move would help increase VW’s market share in North America, the region with the greatest growth potential for the automaker. Last month, VW said it was shifting production to the US and China as a result of the war in Ukraine, which has caused parts shortages, affecting the automaker’s output in Europe.
While Manager Magazin reports there is no final decision regarding the construction of a new US plant, VW Group announced on March 21 that it plans to invest at least $7.1 billion in North America over the next five years.
Europe’s biggest carmaker aims to launch 25 new EVs in the region by 2030, when it projects that 55% of its sales will be electric. The German company has only one US plant, the Chattanooga facility that currently builds the VW Passat and Atlas and will start making the ID.4 electric SUV this fall.
