The electric bus will initially be imported from Germany to the US when it arrives on the US market in 2024.
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz won’t arrive in the United States until 2024, but it appears that there could be more to its arrival than just assembled parts shipped from Europe. A new report claims that the Wolfsburg-based automaker is considering expanding its Chattanooga plant to make the electric microbus and an all-electric pickup truck.
“A source close” to the matter recently spoke out Reuters That Volkswagen Over the next five-years, plans to invest $7.1 million in North American operations. The German company sees enormous growth potential in this region, which has been unprofitable for many years and will not be profitable until 2021. VW plans to launch 25 electric vehicles in North America within the next decade, and has a 50% share of EV sales.
Chattanooga is currently the company’s US factory and produces the Atlas as well as other models. Volkswagen began pilot production in March of this year for the ID.4 to prepare for full-fledged production, which will begin this fall. According to some reports, the ID could be joined by an electric crossover. The two vehicles share the same MEB-electric vehicle architecture, which is causing buzz about the assembly lines. An executive at VW stated last month that the electric microbus would initially be imported from Germany, but suggested that the model could be produced in the US or Mexico during its lifecycle.
Last week, Germany’s Manager Magazine reported on Volkswagen’s plans to build a second plant in America, thereby increasing its annual production to 600,000. According to the business magazine, the new plant could be built near the Chattanooga plant. It also claimed that VW is considering building a new battery plant in the country.
The ID. Buzz says that the automaker is currently working on a long-wheelbase version. This variant will be available in Europe next year. The electric microbus will arrive in America about a year later.