VW Gives Strongest Indication Yet that EVs Will Be Built in Chattanooga

Volkswagen is preparing to unleash an onslaught of electric cars and they’ve long said that they’ll need to build at least some of them in North America. The company has now given its strongest indication yet that it plans to build them in the USA and not Mexico.

“For strong product momentum, they need to be produced in the USA,” VW North America boss Hinrich Woebcken, told Autocar. He added a “high-volume” scenario won’t be possible with imported electric cars.

Volkswagen has previously said that EV production would likely be based in an area where a plant already existed, making Chattanooga, Tennessee and Puebla, Mexico the likely spots. But until now, brand representatives refused to even express a preference for which.

The move would follow VW’s strategy to build cars tailored to the market they’re sold in. The brand has found greater success in differentiating the Passat and Jetta models from global counterparts in the U.S., for example. Both the ID Crozz and ID Buzz cater to North America’s love affair with utility vehicles as well, and Woebcken said the models will be “Americanized” over their global cousins.

Meanwhile, VW will produce its first electric car based on the ID hatchback concept. The hatch hasn’t been confirmed for North America, but it will launch in Europe.

[Source: Autocar]

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