Earlier this year, Volkswagen announced it would open up a U.S. auto manufacturing plant and make a decision as to its location by mid-year. That time is fast-approaching, and the world’s fourth-largest and Europe’s biggest automaker said on Wednesday it has narrowed down its search to three states: Alabama, Michigan and Tennessee.
The automaker is still far from making a decision however, including whether to build a plant on U.S. soil at all, according to an Automotive News report.
“We reviewed many excellent sites and the process to narrow down the locations was not an easy one,” said Stefan Jacoby, Volkswagen group of America’s president and chief executive. “We look forward to continuing to work with the states of Alabama, Michigan, and Tennessee as the evaluation moves forward.”
The recent slump of the U.S. dollar compared to a strong euro is a strong motivator for the automaker to set up shop in North America, which would initially see a production of between 100,000 and 150,000 vehicles. Eventually, the plant would produce 250,000 annually, and the first vehicle to roll out of the plant would be a Passat replacement built specifically for the U.S. market.
VW is evaluating cost, logistics, site readiness and operational considerations in its reviews, according to Jacoby. All three states have significant automaker presence, with Michigan home to the three big domestic manufacturers, Alabama hosting plants for Daimler, Honda and Hyundai, while Tennessee is home for Nissan headquarters and plant, along with a GM factory.
A U.S. factory would go a long way in helping VW meet its goal of selling 1 million vehicles in the U.S. by 2018 and take away some of the excuses for not bringing models like the Scirocco Stateside.
04/24, 1:46 PM
posted by:
HemiRoadRunner
I’m glad the plant isn’t going to india or china. I didn’t tell you all the india joke did I. It pissed a few foreign nerds off on the other article. Mujibar has a job interview with Dell customer support. Mujibar has to pass only 1 test. The test is to use the colors green, pink, and yellow in a sentence. Mujibar thinks for a minute, and says “O K sur, I half dee ansther!” Dee telephone goes GREEN GREEN, I PINK it up and say YELLOW, dis is Mujibar.
04/24, 2:22 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
I thought VW just bailed on Michigan. They’d be best off avoiding the states with a UAW mentality anyhow, so it’ll be Tenn’seeee or ‘Bama, fo’ sho’.
04/24, 2:37 PM
posted by:
murderedout
VW never bailed on MI, as for the new plant search. If anything, they would be smart to put it in MI over TN and AL, because MI has the most experienced workforce in the automotive industry, with the most advanced technology and part supplier sources. I doubt they will even put a plant in the U.S., ****IN KRAUTS.
04/24, 3:09 PM
posted by:
LaCaLover
Awesome, as long as they are building german and not chinese VWs it could be in any of these states. Maybe in Alabama close to Mercedes-Benz.
04/24, 3:11 PM
posted by:
dodgezilla
Was the VW emblem meant to say Victory over the World in Hitler speak….
04/24, 3:26 PM
posted by:
LaCaLover
Yeah because the Nazis spoke English! Doh!
04/24, 3:48 PM
posted by:
beantownslut
michigan is full of fat lazy fools,and tennesee and alabama are full of SEC losers. put the plant in the Northeast, the Last Civilised Part of the country
04/24, 4:53 PM
posted by:
i64X
Too bad that part of the country doesn’t know how to spell too well, eh?
If you’re going to put down a whole state, the least you could do is sound intelligent about it, and run spell check.
04/24, 5:51 PM
posted by:
ClarksonForPresident
#8, i think the joke’s on you.
04/24, 6:50 PM
posted by:
deutschetouring1337
VW isn’t going to the Northeast if they can helpit it will be Alabama. Since VW tuner APR is there.
04/24, 10:00 PM
posted by:
autonut
Actually Alabama got pissed at Toyota ’cause per Toyota they had problems finding qualified workers in the state. As a result Toyota is building factory in Canadia.
04/24, 11:32 PM
posted by:
murderedout
beantownslut, If MI is full of fat, lazy, fools, then why does MI lead in technology? Why is the population/GDP per pound of capita make MI the wealthiest state in America? You’re a fool!
Go to you’re GLADD and hippie rallys there in NYC, FAGGOT! Northeasterners are stuck up prissy faggots just like the Europeans.
04/25, 4:56 AM
posted by:
dodgezilla
Doh ? is this homer sounding enlightened,please inform me of when this VW emblem was incorporated.And you of course know that Fanta soda was a Coca Cola product sold while our little war was taking place right…cadaverlover.oh sorry.
04/25, 10:56 AM
posted by:
LaCaLover
Everyone knows fanta was made in Germany’s coca-cola plants during wwII and that VW and its logo originated with the nazis before WWII, the logo was supposed to suggest ancient german runes and bears a resemblence to other german logos of that era but never meant victory over the world
04/25, 11:04 AM
posted by:
LaCaLover
Californias GDP is highest, Michigan is only 9th
04/25, 11:07 AM
posted by:
LaCaLover
GDP per capita puts Michigan at 36th. The economic measures used by murderedout are complete BS
04/25, 11:44 AM
posted by:
murderedout
I said POPLUATION PER GDP. IF MICHIGAN HAD THE SAME POPULATION AS CALIFORNIA, THE GDP WOULD BE WAY HIGHER. CALIFORNIAS GDP IS HIGHER CAUSE OF THE HIGHER POPULATION. I WAS MEANING POUND FOR POUND, LEARN HOW TO READ. BETTER YET, GO BACK TO KINTERGARDEN. THE ECONOMIC MEASURES USED BY LACALLOVER ARE FALSE!! JUST BECAUSE YOU GOT YOU’RE #’S FROM WIKIPEDIA, A BS WEBSITE THAT ANYONE CAN EDIT ON THE NET, DON’T MEAN IT’S TRUE. CALIFORNIA HAS THE HIGHEST FORECLOSURES AND THE WORST ECONOMY IN THE COUNTRY TOO ACCORDING TO STANDARD AND POORS.
04/25, 2:19 PM
posted by:
LaCaLover
murderedout Who uses wikipedia for economic information? I use the US Census bureau’s department of economic analysis. Michigan is 36th out of 50 in GDP per capita, and 10th out of 50 in GDP
04/25, 2:21 PM
posted by:
murderedout
Calling me a faggot, I get more pussy than you do son. You’re probally still a fat virgin who wacks it to child porn.
04/25, 2:23 PM
posted by:
murderedout
you say 9 out of 50 then 10 for GDP of MI, I SMELL BS. MI is #1 POUND FOR POUND population GDP wise, CAN I MAKE THAT ANY MORE CLEAR, YOU MUST HAVE A DICK IN YOU’RE EAR!
04/25, 2:35 PM
posted by:
LaCaLover
9th or 10th depends which yeqr you are looking at
04/25, 5:38 PM
posted by:
beantownslut
I don’t get any pussy
I’m a girl.
faggot
04/25, 6:11 PM
posted by:
dodgezilla
KDF pinwheel/swastika VW logo. I may have taken a liberty to think that this emblem means anything but strengh through joy as your dictator promoted.My bad…
04/25, 11:50 PM
posted by:
murderedout
beantownslut why are you a guy pretending to be a girl, that’s just weird, what are you a shemale? LOL!