Volkswagen of America Starts Production of the All-Electric ID.4
Factory for the first electric SUV built in North America. In the process, it helps the company affirm its rapid electrification strategy in North America.
The ID.4 was a logical choice for the US plant because it’s Volkswagen Group’s most popular, all-electric model, with 190,000 units delivered to customers globally since its launch in 2021.
Volkswagen plans to ramp up output on the ID.4 automobile in Chattanooga later this year, with a goal of increasing output to 7,000 units per month by 2023.
Customers can expect the first US-made ID.4 vehicles to be delivered as early as October 2022.
By 2018, the ID.4 will be available in RWD or AWD, with both variants using a battery pack that has an 82-kWh charge capacity.
“We’re just starting to write a new chapter for Volkswagen in America, and it is very much an American story. When we promised to bring Volkswagen EVs to the millions, it always included American workers building those EVs right there in Chattanooga. We couldn’t be prouder to see that vision realized today with our ID.4 electric flagship rolling off the lines. This is another milestone in Volkswagen’s ambitious electrification strategy for the U.S. market and globally.”
Thomas Schäfer, Chairman of the global Volkswagen brand
Then in 2022, Volkswagen Chattanooga starts production on a rear-wheel drive model with a 62-kWh battery and smaller MSRP—the famous cheaper ID.4 that Volkswagen has promised for a while now.
The start of ID.4 production in the US is due to $800 million investments into electrification of its Chattanooga factory, including dedicated facilities for vehicle and battery assembly.
The factory in Tennessee is now one of six global sites for Volkswagen’s electric lineup to produce vehicles and electric battery packs.
The American-assembled ID.4 will be primarily sourced in the North American region, particularly in the United States.
The vehicle includes parts and materials assembled in 11 US states, mostly steel made by Alabama and Ohio, interior parts made by Indiana and South Carolina, and electronics components made by Kentucky and North Carolina.
The EV battery will be supplied by SK Innovation, which is located in Georgia.
Volkswagen has invested over $2.7 billion in North America to create 3,000 American jobs through partnerships with SK Innovation.
Speaking of jobs, the Chattanooga plant is currently hiring over 1,000 people through 2022 in order to meet customer demand for the ID.4 and Atlas SUVs.
