Company

From stone wheels to EV, bringing progress to life in a new Volkswagen ID.4 EV ad

Volkswagen has a history of groundbreaking, memorable advertising, and the new all-electric ID.4 coming this spring has inspired its next chapter with a visually stunning demonstration of transportation’s progress from the wheel to the EV future. The ad, created by Johannes Leonardo, was the result of months of planning and imagination using different types of zoetropes – forerunners of motion pictures that were the first examples of animation. All zoetropes in the ad were real machines i

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Vehicles

Why winter isn’t a worry for modern electric vehicles like the Volkswagen ID.4 SUV

As winter takes hold in much of the United States, Americans’ interest in electric vehicles continues to warm up – driven by models such as the Volkswagen ID.4 SUV, due to hit dealers in a matter of weeks. But the season can spark questions among EV-curious drivers about how an electric vehicle can stand up when the temperatures drop. The answer is: quite well, if owners prepare a bit and take advantage of the benefits EV technology can offer. “Winter isn’t a reason to avoid joining the EV

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Innovation

How Volkswagen Automotive Cloud will help shape the connected car of tomorrow

Seattle may not be known as a hotbed for the U.S. automotive industry, but that’s changing, thanks to the increasing importance of cloud computing for connected and autonomous vehicles. In recent years, Seattle’s nickname of “Cloud City” has not only referred to the weather, but for the industry built around some of the best cloud companies and experts in the world. That’s why Volkswagen Group chose the city to help shape the future of connected vehicles with the Volkswagen Automotive Cloud.

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#TBT: The ultra-economical 1988 Volkswagen Öko-Polo

Many enthusiasts are familiar with Volkswagen’s niche models. But not even Ross Cupples, a lifelong fanatic with dozens of Volkswagen cars in his personal collection, had heard of the Öko-Polo — a rare 1988 prototype with a retro rainbow stripe across its doors — when he acquired the only known model in the United States. Volkswagen vehicles have always been a part of Cupples’ life. At age 10, he fell in love with a yellow 1972 Beetle at his family’s used car business in Belmont, NH. He p

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Vehicles

#TBT: The Volkswagen Beetle GSR, a classic in yellow and black

While the Volkswagen Beetle may be one of the most recognizable cars in the world, one of its most eye-catching variants is lesser known – the GSR® yellow and black striped speed racer. The GSR is a flashy, sporty, bumblebee-colored car that was the answer to years of requests from Beetle fans for a sportier version of the classic coupe. In 1973, Volkswagen unveiled the GSR sporting updates designed with European rally racing in mind, a bright yellow paint scheme offset with flat-black hood a

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Company

Volkswagen increases U.S. footprint with 2020 infrastructure developments

As the industry continues to recover and deal with the global pandemic, Volkswagen has remained aggressive in bolstering its engineering, production and logistical footprint in the U.S. as it moves ahead with new vehicle introductions, including its first all-electric SUV, the Volkswagen ID.4 EV, which is expected to hit dealers in early 2021. “The introduction of the ID.4, our new compact SUV the Volkswagen Taos and rising vehicle quality have given us real momentum heading into 2021,” said

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Company

The 2021 ID.4 AR Showroom gives shoppers a virtual tire kick

Auto shows often provide millions of people a low-cost, no-pressure way to experience brands and walk around new vehicles to get a sense of them in person and how they might look in their driveways. But with major events canceled or postponed due to the pandemic, Volkswagen has turned to augmented reality as a way to bring that walk-around experience back to customers. Launched last week, the AR experience for the Volkswagen ID.4 and Taos allows those interested in the Volkswagen electric

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Vehicles

Understanding the what, where and why of electric vehicle charging

The What It can seem daunting to wrap your head around some of the variables involved in electric vehicle charging. Understanding it requires some new thinking about how your vehicle gets energy – namely, how much any given charger can deliver, and how much your vehicle can take. All Volkswagen ID.4 models will come with a 120-volt or Level 1 charger that’s best used for occasional or last-minute charging; think of it as filling a bathtub with a straw. Most Volkswagen ID.4 owners will

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Vehicles

#TBT: The Volkswagen Cabriolet, the ‘80s definition of fun in the sun

Once upon a time on American roads, convertibles were an everyday sight. From the ‘50s through the late ‘70s, convertible models were often the fun, stylish choice, even if life with a fabric-topped vehicle was sometimes a bit louder and less rain-proof than having a steel roof over your head. The original Beetle Convertible was a huge part of that trend, with 332,000 sold worldwide. As a result, when the Beetle was replaced by the first-generation Golf — known as the Rabbit in the United Sta

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Vehicles

Visit these five museums to see rare and vintage Volkswagens

Automotive museums across the U.S. have helped preserve some of the world’s rarest Volkswagens and feature everything — from a never-been-titled 1974 Karmann Ghia to a 1966 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus that is a piece of civil rights history. With expansive collections available to the public, anyone can admire these classic cars. Whether these five museums are pit stops or your destination, their collections of vintage Volkswagens are not to be missed. 1. LeMay – America’s Car Museum | Tacom

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Community

#TBT: The Volkswagen ‘Beach Bomb,’ the world’s most valuable Hot Wheel

Bruce Pascal was seven years old when Hot Wheels first hit stores in 1968. “It’s hard to explain the craze today, but Hot Wheels was huge. All of my friends were saving up to buy all the Hot Wheels they could,” he said. Hot Wheels soon became the number one toy for boys, and Pascal spent his childhood racing and collecting the die-cast cars. When he grew up, Pascal put his Hot Wheels in a cigar box at his mother’s house, where they collected dust for almost 30 years. His passion for classi

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Community

For #GivingTuesday, Volkswagen gives back through U.S. Soccer

This year, #GivingTuesday seems more needed than ever. Youth athletics have felt the impact of the pandemic, from cancelled leagues and seasons to uncertain paths for college hopefuls. For those reasons and many others, Volkswagen of America is the presenting partner of U.S. Soccer’s #GivingTuesday Campaign this year and directing $115,000 of its U.S. Soccer sponsorship towards scholarships and non-profits that develop and nurture female soccer players and coaches across the nation. “V

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Awards

#TBT: Volkswagen’s Guinness World Record-breaking history

It’s not easy to make it into the Guinness World Records book. With over 50,000 applications from aspiring record-breakers each year, it can be a competitive field — especially in transportation, where records can come down to a millisecond.   At Volkswagen, we know a thing or two about breaking records. To celebrate Guinness World Records Day, we are looking back at nine times Volkswagen and its fans have advanced the auto industry and earned a place in Guinness World Records history.

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Community

Volkswagen teams with Taos Ski Valley, Inc. for snow adventures

The name of the all-new Volkswagen Taos was chosen as a homage to the wild and beautiful land around Taos, N.M. To build that relationship beyond the name, Volkswagen has teamed with one of the state’s largest resorts and one of North America’s premier ski and snowboard destinations — the Taos Ski Valley ski resort. A short drive from Colorado Springs and Denver, the top-rated, ski-in/ski-out mountain hotel and resort features 14 lifts, 110 trails and 1,294 acres of varied terrain, includ

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Community

Shopping small leads to big impact

The holiday shopping season is officially underway, and an easy way to celebrate the start of the holiday gift-giving season is investing in your community and shopping locally. Since 2009, holiday shoppers nationwide have been encouraged to forgo shopping at big-box stores and area malls and support local independent retailers and mom-and-pop shops the weekend after Thanksgiving. The annual shopping event is an opportune time for neighborhood merchants to attract new customers and highli

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Vehicles

#TBT: A Volkswagen Beetle adorned with millions of beads links Mexico’s past and present

Volkswagens have always been vehicles of expression, from the Volkswagen Light Bus to the Wedding Beetle. But perhaps no car is as intricately and meticulously crafted as the “Vochol,” a 1990 Volkswagen Beetle adorned with over two million carefully placed glass beads. The name “Vochol” is a combination of “vocho,” a common term for Volkswagen Beetles in Mexico, and “Huichol,” another name for the Wixárika indigenous group in the western states of Nayarit and Jalisco, Mexico. Separated fr

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Vehicles

How owning an electric vehicle can save money over the long haul

Electric vehicles like the Volkswagen ID.4 offer a lot of benefits to their owners, such as zero tailpipe-emission driving and home charging. But there’s often been questions about the cost of EVs, as battery technology remains slightly more expensive than combustion engines. The truth is that while some of those differences exist, the cost of owning an EV has fallen in recent years. With Volkswagen building a global platform to support dozens of EV models worldwide, the ID.4 can offer all th

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The new 2022 Volkswagen Golf R brings more power, tech and fun than ever before

It has been just under two decades since Volkswagen revealed the first Golf R32, a then-unexpected combination of the classic Golf hatchback platform with the go-fast parts of a performance car—namely the 3.2-liter narrow-angle VR-6 engine and an advanced all-wheel-drive system. From its cornering prowess to its exhaust note, the R32 quickly built a following. Today, Volkswagen reveals the fourth-generation of the Golf R, and while the formula hasn’t changed, the performance potential has rea

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Vehicles

How polymers help make Volkswagen cars lighter, faster and more fuel-efficient

The role of plastics in the design and production of cars has never been more essential. To help meet the needs of modern cars, scientists and specialists at Volkswagen of America’s polymers laboratory near the company’s Chattanooga plant create innovative solutions to help make cars lighter and more fuel-efficient. “Polymers have improved all of our lives in many ways, but especially in vehicles,” says laboratory evaluation specialist Ellen Collins, who has studied and seen the evolution

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Vehicles

#TBT: 50 years after, a look back at the first modern Volkswagen

From the launch of the Beetle through the Bus, the 411 and other models, Volkswagen built all of its cars around air-cooled engines mounted at the rear. This approach had tremendous benefits, but it was clear by 1970 that the future would require a different approach – and in October of that year, Volkswagen unveiled the model that set the tone for decades to come. While not imported to the United States, the Volkswagen K70 notchback sedan marked a dramatic change in the company’s direction.

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Vehicles

#TBT: From Woodstock to Waikiki, the nostalgic pull of the 23-window Bus

What do touring musicians, alpine explorers and beach bums all have in common? You could catch them behind the wheel of the elusive and highly sought-after hippie classic – the Volkswagen 23-window bus. Known to U.S. buyers as the “Deluxe Microbus with Samba package," the 23-window bus was originally designed as a vehicle to tour the Swiss Alps, offering up to nine passengers maximum visibility, but was quickly adopted by families, campers and members of the counterculture. The van features a

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Magazine

Celebrate Halloween with a creatively carved Volkswagen pumpkin

Halloween is right around the corner, and whether you’re planning to celebrate indoors or outside, an easy way to get into the holiday spirit is to take on a pumpkin-carving challenge. So get some pumpkins, and grab your carving tools to bring these Volkswagen-themed pumpkin designs to life. One decal features the instantly recognizable Volkswagen Bus, while the other carries the look of Volkswagen’s new ID.4 electric SUV. Invite others to join in on the spooky fun and consider hosting a virt

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Vehicles

The Volkswagen Taos, a big idea in small SUVs

More than half of the new vehicles sold in the United States so far this year have been SUVs, a trend that hasn’t been seen in decades. It’s easy to see why; SUVs typically have more space, more capability and often as much performance as their owners can use. And while SUVs have a reputation as larger vehicles, more buyers now want those same attributes in a package that takes up less room. That’s the concept behind the all-new Volkswagen Taos, a new compact SUV that’s smaller than the Tigua

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Chattanooga

Volkswagen Chattanooga supplier park marks 10 years of success

Ten years ago last week, Volkswagen opened its 446,400-square-foot supplier park next door to the Chattanooga factory. With a $21 million investment, the site quickly became home to six suppliers supporting 500 jobs helping to assemble the Volkswagen Passat. Today, just as the Chattanooga factory has grown, so has the supplier park and the suppliers nearby. Seven suppliers now work in the supplier park, assembling everything from seats to axles to dashboards, while four more have built facil

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Vehicles

On National Name Your Car Day, the history of Volkswagen names

Naming a new model takes a surprising amount of effort. Here are the derivations on some of Volkswagen’s iconic model names, from Atlas to up! and beyond.

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History

#TBT: The history of the Beetle’s bud vase

To understand how a small German sedan came to represent the “flower power” generation, maybe it’s because no vehicle was as known for floral displays quite like the Beetle and its dashboard bud vase. The porcelain “blumenvasen” first appeared in the U.S. as an optional dealer accessory in the 1950s. Many of the bud vases were produced by high-end German porcelain manufacturers and could be clipped to the car’s dashboard, speaker grille or windshield. This provided owners with the opportu

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