Volkswagen invests in automation to convert 3 plants to e-mobility
Photo courtesy of Volkswagen

Volkswagen invests in automation to convert 3 plants to e-mobility

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brands are working flat out on the transformation to the e-mobility era and the conversion of plants to e-mobility. The Volkswagen brand has now ordered more than 1,400 robots from Japanese manufacturer FANUC for its production facilities at Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the United States and in Emden, Germany. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has ordered a further 800 robots for its Hanover plant from ABB of Switzerland. The robots are to be mainly used for body production and battery assembly. The three plants are currently being prepared for the production of electric cars using highly advanced facilities. From 2022, the ID.41 is to be produced at Chattanooga and Emden, while the model known as ID. BUZZ2 is to roll off the production line in Hanover, Germany.

โ€œAt Emden and Chattanooga, we are developing two of the most advanced production facilities in the automotive industry for the transformation to e-mobility. We are investing in the latest technologies such as digitalisation and automation for this purpose even in the present situation,โ€ said Christian Vollmer, member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen brand responsible for Production and Logistics.

The ID. BUZZ is to be produced at the Hanover plant of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles from 2022. โ€œOur conversion work is proceeding entirely to schedule,โ€ said Josef Baumert, member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles responsible for Production and Logistics. โ€œWith the launch of the ID. BUZZ, we will complete the modernisation of our Hanover plant currently in progress, which will also benefit all the other models produced at this location.โ€

In total, the Group plans to invest EUR33 billion (USD38.6 billion) by 2024, with a view to becoming the world market leader in e-mobility. Several billion euros are to be invested in these three plants.

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