Volkswagen Plans 16 New Electric Car Assembly Plants, 1 in North America

Volkswagen has officially introduced its new MEB modular platform, the electric car manufacturing template it says will form the basis for as many as 10 million electric cars in the coming years.  As part of that plan, the company expects to have 16 electric car assembly plants in operation by the year 2022, part of its $40 billion dollar EV investment strategy.

Many of those new facilities will be scattered across Europe.  The company has already begun converting its factory in the German city of Zwickau to be the first factory that will build electric cars exclusively.  The first ID-branded electric car from the company — a 5 door sedan that bears more than a passing resemblance to the popular Golf — will be built there.

The company is also planning two new electric car factories in China to go along with the manufacturing locations it already has there.  Building cars in China will allow Volkswagen’s locally produced automobiles to avoid import tariffs imposed by the government on imported cars.

Thomas Ulbrich, head of e-mobility for Volkswagen, announced this week that his company will build at least one new electric car factory in North America.  “There is no decision done so far,” told reporters in Germany.  “We think there’s a natural fit to Chattanooga, but there’s no planning done so far.”  According to The Drive, the new factory is expected to begin producing cars by 2022.

Read more at Volkswagen Plans 16 New Electric Car Assembly Plants, 1 in North America