Company

How Volkswagen is helping diverse suppliers find their footing

Automakers may be fierce competitors on the showroom floors and production lines, but in one critical area they share a common goal: working to equip diverse suppliers to help build the future of electric mobility and autonomous cars. The Automotive Industry Group (AIG)—a coalition of industry competitors including Volkswagen Group of America—works to develop and train suppliers in advanced technologies so that minority-, women-, veteran- and LGBTQ+-owned businesses have a chance to compe

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Owners

#TBT: Volkswagens tie grandkids to their family legacies

Eric Shoemaker had no real interest in cars. As a designer and entrepreneur, he primarily took an interest in hobbies like woodworking, furniture restoration, and photography. Today, however, he not only owns a business with his wife Amanda that restores air-cooled German engine components, but his website (1967beetle.com) is a go-to resource for tech tips, classifieds, and Volkswagen stories from around the globe. And what he attributes as the catalyst for his newfound passion is a 1967 Bee

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Company

Why battery power will drive the future of transportation

Chances are you might have at least two lithium-ion batteries on your body right now – one on your wrist, and one in the phone in your pocket. You may have multiple more if you’re holding a car key fob or have a pacemaker or any other electronic device. But do you know how those batteries actually work? For a technology at the heart of modern life, batteries remain something of a mystery. While humans have used batteries for hundreds of years, it’s only within the past decade that the scie

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Company

Volkswagen marks National Wildlife Day with Chattanooga preservation efforts

When Volkswagen built the Chattanooga plant, the company pledged to restore nearby wetlands in an effort to help protect local wildlife and preserve the natural environment. In the first several years after the plant’s opening, Volkswagen successfully restored over 40 acres of biodiverse wetland through regular testing, monitoring and studies. Today, the total wetland area spans over 88 acres and is home to 15 endangered animals, hundreds of species of wildlife, including 167 species of b

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Company

RSVP for an EV SUV with a $100 reservation for the Volkswagen ID.4 electric vehicle

In good times or bad, people need their vehicles. Over the past few months, Volkswagen of America has worked with dealers on a new shopping and buying experience so our customers can shop from home. Next month, Volkswagen will unveil its first electric SUV, the ID.4 — and a new system that allows customers to reserve their car. The Volkswagen reservation platform will make its debut on Sept. 23rd, immediately following the reveal of the all-new, zero-tailpipe emission Volkswagen ID.4 electric

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Company

#TBT: Sixty-five years later, the beauty of the Karmann Ghia endures

When the Volkswagen Beetle became a hit in America during the ‘50s and ‘60s, it won over buyers for its utility, its frugality and its driving dynamics – not its unusual approach to automobile design. Even Volkswagen ads would later compare it to the Apollo lunar module with the tagline: “It’s ugly but it gets you there.” It would be 1955 before Volkswagen produced its first truly beautiful car, a coupe whose lines were crafted in Italy and essentially hand built in Germany. And 65 years

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History

#TBT: The Wedding Beetle: Mexico City’s metal masterpiece

Ever wanted to take a spin in Cinderella’s magical coach? Look no further than the Wedding Beetle, an enchanting white, wrought iron-bodied coachbuilt car from the 1960s. The Wedding Beetle was the creation of Rafael Esparza-Prieto, a talented welder and blacksmith from Mexico City. Esparza-Prieto was reportedly working at a local parts shop in 1968 when his boss asked him to create a one-of-a-kind Beetle shell to display and attract new customers. Using a Beetle as his base, Esparza-P

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Chattanooga

#TBT: Volkswagen Chattanooga Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary of Volkswagen Academy

In the early 2000s, Volkswagen operated several successful apprenticeship programs in Germany and, because of its success abroad, the company decided to bring it stateside. The apprenticeship program, one of the core programs of the Volkswagen Academy, officially launched with the opening of the Chattanooga Plant in 2010 and has since trained over 100 apprentices. This year, as the program marked its 10th anniversary, 28 apprentices successfully completed the program and transitioned into

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Company

Building EVs in America begins with engineering EVs in Chattanooga

With the all-electric Volkswagen ID.4 due to be revealed on Sept. 23, Volkswagen has begun expanding its Chattanooga factory to build a North American center for electric vehicles – not only for assembly, but for engineering the EVs of the future. To power those efforts, Volkswagen‘s Engineering and Planning Center in Chattanooga will soon feature a unique, state-of-the-art high-voltage laboratory designed to develop and test electric vehicle cells and battery packs for upcoming models as

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Accessories

Six popular Volkswagen car accessories for summer fun

In this pandemic summer, Americans have hit the roads to get away, with AAA predicting an estimated 683 million road trips from July to September. That has also driven many owners to buy accessories that they may have overlooked until now. Robert Gal, a senior manager of performance and accessories at Volkswagen, says the company has seen a “really big, year-over-year spike” in sales of its road trip-related accessories. Here’s a look at the Volkswagen accessories that have seen some of the l

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Company

The modern way to buy a vehicle: No-touch signatures and open reviews

While America adjusts to the new normal of a world with masks and social distancing, the need for personal transportation remains – and for some, it’s stronger than ever. Yet buying a vehicle has long required in-person communication, often followed by a request to fill out a customer survey a few miles long. Over the past few months, Volkswagen has tackled both of those challenges with two new tools. Volkswagen of America and VW Credit have worked with CDK Global, Inc. to launch Sign Anywher

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Community

#TBT: Formula Vee racing, a Volkswagen family tradition for five decades

Forty years after it was last sold new, the original Volkswagen Beetle can still be found on American roads, a testament to its popularity and engineering. The same holds true for American race tracks, where an important part of the Beetle legacy has only grown more popular over the years. Since its start in the early 1960s, Formula Vee racing has offered one of the most competitive and affordable forms of open-wheel racing anywhere in the world. Developed by a group of independent dealers, t

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Company

How the pandemic has changed the auto industry – and made EVs more inevitable

As much as people talk about “the new normal” of a pandemic, what such a state looks like exactly changes almost minute by minute. For automakers like Volkswagen, that can mean weighing a host of short and long-term factors, from helping customers who’ve suffered job losses to planning for an electric future. Reinhard Fischer’s job is to keep all these elements in mind. As senior vice president of strategy for the Volkswagen Group of America, Fischer helps plot the company’s course for whatev

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Company

Volkswagen Group of America welcomes first ship to new Baltimore port

Volkswagen Group of America is proud to return to the port of Baltimore and welcomed its first ship Friday at its new processing facility. Covering 115 acres, the recently built distribution center at the Tradepoint Atlantic terminal will import, process and distribute about 120,000 new vehicles from Europe and Mexico each year to dealerships across the eastern United States, with plans to expand in the future. Built with an investment of about $150 million, the new VWGoA facility is expecte

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History

#TBT – The rich history of Volkswagen’s Puebla plant

As one of the largest vehicle producers on the planet, it may be no surprise to learn that there are 16 Volkswagen brand plants in operation today. One of the longest-running plants is located in Puebla, Mexico. Volkswagen de México headquarters was established in Puebla in 1964. In 1965, the company began the search for a new production site and began building the plant that year. Construction of the plant completed in July 1967 and the first car—the iconic Beetle—rolled off the line in Oct

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Company

Putting electric vehicle charging to a high-temp test

Whether in your phone, your watch or a next-generation electric vehicle, batteries can respond differently to temperature extremes. And when you’re about to build millions of electric vehicles worldwide, engineers want to research what could happen when plugging an EV into a 350-kW DC fast charger on the hottest days. That’s why Volkswagen Group has spent the past year building one of the most advanced EV charging test sites in the world at the Arizona Proving Grounds. The 50 charging station

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History

#TBT: The Volkswagen “Max” Beetle

 In 2008, Volkswagen of America began looking for a unique spokesperson—someone who could eloquently embody the brand’s ideals, but at the same time remind us that Volkswagen is a company that knows how to have a little fun, too. Identifying just the right person presented a long road ahead; it became clear that not just any celebrity superstar would do. With the help of advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the unforgettable black 1964 Beetle we simply know as “Max” was fast-tracked to p

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Community

Volkswagen and The Conservation Fund award $200,000 in grants to environmental organizations

In November, Volkswagen reinforced its corporate commitment to sustainability by establishing a $200,000 community grant program toward conservation efforts in eastern Tennessee in partnership with The Conservation Fund. After soliciting grant requests of up to $50,000 from local nonprofits, schools and public agencies, the company is pleased to announce the five charitable organizations that were selected for sponsorship. The funds will be used toward promoting environmental education fo

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Vehicles

#TBT: The ultimate beach cruiser: The 1974 Volkswagen Acapulco Thing

The Volkswagen Type 181 – commonly referred to as “The Thing” – has always been a fun summer classic for drivers who enjoy a cool and wildly original type of ride. The removable doors, retractable soft top and folding windshield provided a driving experience unlike any other Volkswagen. The 181 has also spawned one of the more unusual models ever to wear the Volkswagen badge – the Acapulco Thing. The Thing variant was specifically designed for two legendary, high-end resorts in Acapulco, a po

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Partnerships

Team Volkswagen kicks off Drive Bigger program to get charities back on the field

As the world works toward a new normal in the COVID-19 era, sports like soccer have had to adapt and try new approaches. With teams and players slowly returning to the field, the demands on soccer-related charities remain high, with programs delayed or cancelled and needs greater than ever. To help address those challenges, Volkswagen of America has worked with U.S. Soccer Men’s and Women’s National Team players who serve as brand ambassadors on Team Volkswagen. These ten ambassadors have cho

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Philanthropy

Volkswagen dealers across the nation participate in Community-Driven Atlas Initiative

Volkswagen and its network of dealerships are supporting local communities during COVID-19 through the Community-Driven Atlas Initiative, a program that allows dealerships the ability to re-purpose their service loaner vehicles for community service endeavors like delivering food, masks and other essential goods to individuals in need. “We have been involved with a number of organizations in our communities for years now,” said Kristen Walker, marketing director for Coastal Volkswagen. “But w

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Vehicles

#TBT – Volkswagen Golf Country

Built in 1990, the Golf Country was an early foray into the crossover SUV category for Volkswagen and even predated the Toyota RAV4—one of the first mass-market CUVs—by four years. With just 7,735 vehicles produced in two years from 1990 to 1991, the rugged, off-road worthy Golf Mark 2 variant - with lifted suspension and all-wheel drive - is now a collectible modern classic. Volkswagen introduced the “Montana” concept at the Geneva Motor Show in 1989. At the time, the off-road Golf Mark 2 va

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Company

#TBT: History of the Volkswagen Passat in the U.S.

  Most Volkswagen fans think that the Golf is currently the longest-lived Volkswagen nameplate, but that honor actually belongs to the Passat, which went on sale a year before the Golf in Europe, in 1973. Based on the Audi 80, the Passat was initially sold in two- and four-door fastback sedan and three- and five-door hatchback form, with a wagon joining one year later. In the U.S., the Passat was marketed as the Dasher, and sold in all three versions from 1974. More than 222,000 w

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#TBT: One million vehicles strong – three times over

  At any car factory, the one-millionth vehicle serves as a milestone of success. With Volkswagen of America’s Chattanooga plant hitting that mark last week, it’s worth looking back at some memorable moments for Volkswagen production– and what’s coming next. Sixty-five years ago this August, the one-millionth Volkswagen rolled off the assembly line in Wolfsburg. Following World War II, the Volkswagen factory started slowly producing the Beetle and the Bus, but by 1955 the Beetle w

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Company

#TBT: Learn about the past, present, and future of mobility with virtual Autostadt tours

With public attractions like museums and theme parks largely closed around the world, many are turning to virtual tours. Autostadt, the automotive theme park next to the Volkswagen production factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, has recently reopened, but developed several virtual experiences. A coloring project lets people virtually race through the park in a personalized ID. BUZZ concept vehicle, and a series of “sofa tours” allow a closer look at the past, present, and future of mobility. Bring

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Company

How the Volkswagen Group’s worldwide logistics teams help fight COVID-19

As one of the world’s largest automakers, the Volkswagen Group has a special expertise in getting essential parts to the right place at the right time. Over the past three months, that expertise in shipping and logistics has taken on a new mission: Finding, transporting and in some cases setting up production for personal protective equipment needed to fight the COVID-19 outbreak worldwide. In the United States, Volkswagen worked with a consortium of other manufacturers and suppliers, includi

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