One of the most interesting brands in the automotive market for the past few years is Volkswagen with its diesel scandal and response to it.
In 2015 this brand was mired with the troubles of a diesel scandal that still leave scars and wounds to this day. This may have been the kick they needed to get started on their electric car future, or they might have already had the plans in place, but Volkswagen is ready to be the largest automaker of EV models in the world over the next few years. This seems like a lofty goal, but they have the infrastructure to make it happen.
Three Factories for the Future of Volkswagen Electric
While most automakers will convert one assembly line to a dedicated EV model, or if it’s Tesla, the entire factory is for EV models, Volkswagen is prepared to commit three full factories to the job of building EV models for the future. The three factories that are going to be used to manufacture these new electric vehicles are in Germany and the plan is to ramp up the production of these cars before the tougher European emissions standards are put in place that automakers will have to adhere to.
The Three Plants and Some Employee Security
The Volkswagen team has designated the facilities in Emden and Hannover to begin the production of electric models in 2022. Prior to that, a plant in Zwickau was designated for the e-car production we want to enjoy driving in the future. In addition to designating these three plants for the job of producing the electric vehicles from VW, the employees at these factories were all given a job guarantee through 2028. Even though they are given these job promises, the goal is to reduce positions, which might allow an expansion of production lines, because electric cars require fewer production steps to create.
Production Goals and a Looming Deadline for Volkswagen
When the European Union rules were put in place, many of the automakers in the area bet heavily on diesel models to offer higher fuel mileage numbers while meeting the emissions limits. Unfortunately, this didn’t work out well and the diesel sales have been reduced to the point of needing to make a different transition in order to give us the models that will meet future regulations. Thankfully, with these three plants as a start, the goal for Volkswagen is to build at least 50 million EV models in the future.
Volkswagen is Right for the Market of Today
The future of the automotive market is electric vehicles. Volkswagen has more plants around the world than nearly any other automaker. The end of the VW Beetle, which has been the car that has sold more models than any other, leaves plenty of room for the VW brand to have production room to build as many electric vehicles as possible. The story is still to be told as to whether or not VW will be able to become the largest name in the EV industry, but by dedicating three full factories to this purpose, they are well on the way to that goal.
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