01/23/2008, 3:17 PM

Volkswagen News

VW announces U.S. plant

Volkswagen has officially announced that it will build a vehicle production facility in the U.S., although the location of the plant still remains unclear. VW also announced that it will build supporting engine and transmission plants in North America, but these plants will likely be built in Mexico or Canada.

Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America Inc., says the announcement of where the U.S. plant will be located will be announced within the next six months, and Jacoby expects the first vehicles to roll off the U.S. production floor in just over three years.

It has been reported that VW will setup shop in Rocky Mount, North Carolina — where the German automaker has been rumored to have purchased land — although VW has yet to confirm that report.

The new plant should help VW with its goal of selling 800,000 VW vehicles in the U.S. by 2018. It remains unclear which vehicles VW will build here in the U.S.

 
 

01/23, 3:40 PM

posted by:

Commodore

Good. I (and everyone one American should) welcome this kind of thing. It creates more American jobs - the kinds of jobs that have been getting massively offshored lately.

01/23, 3:48 PM

posted by:

e36m

So they can pay american’s the wooping 9 bucks an hour the bmw employee’s make in the sc plant. Big deal about bring jobs here when they barely make more than min. wage.

01/23, 4:17 PM

posted by:

R1GHT30U5

“but these plants will likely be built in Mexico or Canada”

NO HOCHO IN MEXICO!!!

01/23, 4:34 PM

posted by:

F3INT))AP3X

Well they do bring up production costs and cause instability within companies. Unions cause a lot of micromanagement and when they strike all hell breaks loose. A new plant here without unions could bring a significant cost decrease to the table when purchasing a new VW and I’m all for that.

01/23, 4:49 PM

posted by:

Htay9500

I’m looking foward to how much quality and reliability has improved with this move.

01/23, 4:53 PM

posted by:

Spingood Tanoya

Actually, the starting wage at the BMW plant is $12.50. Not great, but almost 40% higher than what people above have claimed. $12.50 wouldn’t go far in New York or California, but what’s the cost of living like in that part of South Carolina? (Google “BMW South Carolina plant wages” and check the first result to see where I got my numbers.)

With the exchange rate between the US dollar and European currencies, I imagine that many overseas manufacturers are taking another look at the US for plant expansion.

01/23, 4:58 PM

posted by:

affliction

VW’s operations manager: “How can we make our reliability better? Wait…I got it! .. Let’s open a plant in the US!!!”

01/23, 5:05 PM

posted by:

C6Racer

e36m, that’s all they deserve. Everyone should know that so don’t even get me started. By the way, has someone taken E36M? I’m sure that’s how BMW would have written it.

affliction, reliability is so bad that might just be crazy enough to work!

01/23, 5:49 PM

posted by:

DeansterTJ

That’s right Jordan, no one around here likes unions.

01/23, 5:58 PM

posted by:

SwerveEarly

Like some unions, hate some corporations.

01/23, 7:28 PM

posted by:

LexusSoarer

Affliction: BWAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!!!! Good stuff.

Although in actuality having a plant here is not going to make VW’s reliabilty any worse at all. I’m happy they decided to build one in the US, still wouldn’t buy one. That said it’s going to create jobs and makes sense because of the fact of far more VDubs and Audis are being sold here now than they ever were.

01/23, 8:59 PM

posted by:

kayne001

Sorry but Volkswagens still suck. (in reliability that is)

01/23, 9:32 PM

posted by:

trooper1

I love VW designs but I don’t like that they are built in Mexico. I would much rather they be built in Canada than here in the US. I find Canadian built cars to have a much better fit and finish than cars built in the states. I think there is a reason why the big 3 build their most important models in Canada. The Camaro, Malibu, 300c, Challenger all built in Canada for a reason. 95% of all police cars in North America are built in Canada, and police cars need to be reliable.

01/23, 9:41 PM

posted by:

Get Real

I think the old Rabbit plant in Penn or NY is still available.

We can buy VW products and NOT blame the Germans for crappy quality cars…we will build it ourselves.

01/23, 10:32 PM

posted by:

swamprat

I would consider a U.S. made VW. I hope they start making the Jetta here, but I bet they are going to build some wierd SUV just like BMW does.

01/24, 6:30 AM

posted by:

purdue

This is what a declining currency does for a country. It brings in labor-intensive job opportunities. Going home at the end of a day knowing you’ve made things that you can hold in your hand, brings (me) a sense of accomplishment over just making gobs of money typing or being in meetings.

01/24, 1:39 PM

posted by:

frost

Its good VW is going to be building cars here in north america, but reality is depending on what model they build here, and if they keep using their crappy plastic, and faulty materials to make those cars, it will only make more people look down on VW for their quality of products.

here are a few places VW makes their cars in.

City Golf - Brazil
Golf / New Rabbit - Germany
New Jetta - Mexico & Germany
City Jetta - Mexico
Bettle - Mexico & Germany
Passat - Germany
Gol / Fox - Brazil
Eurovan - Germany
Polo - Romaina

01/24, 2:11 PM

posted by:

planet_drive

Build them in Canada not the US or Mexico. Maybe then finally VW will be known for building good reliable cars.

 
 
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