Initially, the electric bus will be imported to the US from Germany when it hits the market in 2024.
The Volkswagen Identification Number. Buzz isn’t expected to arrive in the United States until 2024, but it appears that it will be more than just assembled models imported from Europe. The Wolfsburg-based automaker is reportedly considering expanding its Chattanooga plant to create the electric microbus and an all-electric pickup truck, according to a recent report.
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Volkswagen aims to invest $7.1 billion on its North American operations over the next five years, according to a source close to the situation. The German firm sees enormous growth potential in the region, which has been unprofitable for several years and will be profitable again in 2021. As part of its strategy, VW wants to have 25 new electric vehicles in North America by the end of the decade and have a 50-percent sales share coming from EVs.
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For the time being, the Chattanooga plant is the company’s only US manufacturer, and it produces the Atlas and other models. Volkswagen launched pilot manufacturing of the ID.4 in March of this year, with full production set to begin this fall. The ID. Buzz might join the electric crossover on the assembly lines, as the two share the same MEB electric vehicle architecture. Last month, a VW official indicated the electric microbus will be imported from Germany at first, but that manufacture in the United States or Mexico may happen later in the model’s life cycle.
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Then, this week, Germany’s Manager Magazine revealed that Volkswagen is considering constructing a second facility in the United States, bringing its annual manufacturing capacity to 600,000 vehicles. The new plant might be adjacent to the existing Chattanooga operation, according to the business journal. VW is also rumoured to be considering a new battery production in the country, according to the report.
In terms of the ID. Buzz, the manufacturer is now working on a long-wheelbase version that will be released in Europe next year. The electric microbus will arrive in the United States about a year later.
Source:Â Reuters
