VW builds 250,000th Passat in Chattanooga in just two years

Sun, 26 May 2013

It hasn't been without incident or union organizing drive, but the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, TN has built its 250,000 Passat in just a little over two years. The Night Blue Passat TDI with black leather has come just two years and five weeks after the first customer car came off the line on April 18, 2011.

In the last year the plant operated at the 150,000-unit capacity that it was intended for, but the downturn in Passat sales and subsequent worker layoffs mean it will be a challenge to repeat the feat. The plant does have the world's largest solar park, though, and you can't take that away from them.

You'll find the official hand-clapping in the press release below.

VOLKSWAGEN CHATTANOOGA BUILDS 250,000th PASSAT SEDAN

Chattanooga, Tenn., 05.23.2013 - Volkswagen Chattanooga announced today that its workforce has produced the 250,000th Passat midsized sedan.

The car, produced in Volkswagen's LEED Platinum-certified factory, is Night Blue with black leather interior. It is powered by Volkswagen's high-mileage TDI clean-diesel engine and features navigation, a sunroof and 18-inch alloy wheels. It also offers the amazing sonic experience provided by the Volkswagen Fender premium audio system.

"Two years ago our team members had just learned to build cars," said Frank Fischer, CEO and Chairman of Volkswagen Chattanooga. "Today we celebrate a quarter of a million Volkswagen Passats from Chattanooga. I am very proud of this team."

The Volkswagen Chattanooga team celebrated completion of the first customer car on April 18, 2011, and the 100,000th on May 31, 2012. The 250,000 milestone sedan was celebrated with the nearly 2,700 team members during a meeting this week.

About Volkswagen Chattanooga
Volkswagen has invested $1 billion in the local economy for the Chattanooga plant and has created more than 5,000 jobs in the region. According to independent studies, the Volkswagen plant is expected to generate $12 billion in income growth and an additional 9,500 jobs related to its investment. The Chattanooga manufacturing facility builds the Passat Sedan, specifically designed for the North American market and winner of the Motor Trend magazine 2012 Car of the Year award. In 2012, it produced more than 152,400 Volkswagen Passats. Volkswagen Chattanooga is the first and still only car factory worldwide with a LEED Platinum certification. It is also certified according to ISO 9001 for its quality management system, according to ISO 14001 for its environmental management system and according to ISO 50001 for its energy management system.

By Jonathon Ramsey