Volkswagen Group of America: How the German Automaker Earned its “Made in America” Stripes
When it comes to vehicle manufacturing, more and more foreign brands, including Volkswagen, bring their business stateside to North America. Volkswagen Group of America –a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group based in Germany, responsible for automotive research and development, parts distribution, financial services, marketing, and more– has made strides in the U.S. to cement its “Made in the USA” credentials. While Volkswagen Group of America is currently headquartered in Northern Virginia, it’s the automaker’s rather large assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, that’s working in their favor.
Initially engineered and built to support the production of the 2011 Volkswagen Passat, Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant is currently undergoing an expansion to handle the eventual production of electric vehicles (EVs). Volkswagen also broke ground with an EV battery test lab in Chattanooga and a new port facility in Baltimore, Maryland, during 2020. The Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant currently boasts a workforce of almost 2,000 employees and has an annual projected output of about 150,000 vehicles.
Given that the Chattanooga Assembly Plant is specially tailored to the U.S. market, it is the home of the Volkswagen Atlas –an exclusive SUV designed with the American consumer in mind. Volkswagen also announced that all ID. Crozz and ID. Buzz models would be produced at the Chattanooga plant beginning in 2022. The plant focuses on building a localized product to keep costs down, allowing Volkswagen to bypass exchange rate fluctuations that can cause their vehicles’ prices to skyrocket, reduce its vulnerability to supply chain issues, and monitor U.S. automotive trends to stay relevant. At its peak production phase, the Chattanooga Assembly plant manufactured 85% of all North American Passat vehicles, with 85% of the components and content of North American Passat models coming from North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries.
Volkswagen’s Chattanooga Assembly Plant is a repurposed old ammunition plant that manufactured up to 14,000 tons of TNT at the height of World War II. The present-day automaking facility is near a storage area that contains bunkers previously used to house TNT, along with nearby hiking sites, walking and biking trails, picnic areas, overlooks, and more. As of 2012, vehicles manufactured at the Chattanooga Assembly Plant have made their way towards Canada, Mexico, South Korea, and the Middle East.
Volkswagen Models Made in America
2021 Volkswagen Passat
This Tennessee-built model was refreshed for the 2020 year and features a more coupe-like roofline, a more aggressive grille, and features sharper overall design lines. Stellar performance and a roomy interior with some of the latest advanced safety features as standard make the 2021 Volkswagen Passat a worthy competitor in the large car segment. Every trim of the 2021 Volkswagen Passat comes with standard Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, and Front-Traffic Assist With Pedestrian Monitoring. Its turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with its 34 mpg fuel efficiency rating makes the 2021 Passat a strong performer.
2021 Volkswagen Atlas
Refreshed for the 2021 model year, the Volkswagen Atlas is a comfortable SUV with three rows of seating. Revised front and rear styling, along with an improved safety suite and all-wheel-drive availability, make the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas one of the nicest family movers available. The 2021 Atlas seats seven in its standard form, but available Captain’s Chairs reduce passenger capacity down to six. The Volkswagen Atlas was designed explicitly for the American market and is exclusively built in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
Inspired by the Volkswagen Atlas, the Atlas Cross Sport model is a two-row crossover built on the same platform and foundation. It comes standard with a coupe-inspired roofline and is naturally lighter and faster than the Atlas. The Atlas Cross Sport also features a larger cargo area and allows more legroom for its second-row passengers. Lighter and more compact than Volkswagen’s other offerings, the 2021 Atlas Cross Sport has an array of engine options. It competes directly with models such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevy Blazer, Nissan Murano, etc.
Visit us at Sunrise Volkswagen of Fort Pierce and explore the latest offerings in our new Volkswagen inventory. Whether you need a tried-and-true daily driver like the Volkswagen Passat or need something along the lines of a people-mover such as the 2021 VW Atlas or Atlas Cross Sport, you can rest assured that Sunrise Volkswagen has you covered. Stay tuned on Sunrise V.W. social media to be the first to know when the all-electric ID.4 lineup begins arriving at our dealer lot.