Volkswagen has released more details about the future role of its Emden plant in Germany, which currently builds the Passat and Arteon midsize cars.
The conversion of the Emden plant for EV production has already started, with the first electric cars set to roll off the production line from 2022. The all-new VW ID.4 electric compact SUV will be first to enter production at the Lower Saxony plant in 2022, with other all-electric models to follow later.
The plant will continue to build the Passat sedan and estate, Arteon and Arteon Shooting Brake “for a transitional period of several years”. We’re guessing that’s until the next-generation models come out, as reports claim they will be manufactured in Bratislava, Slovakia.
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The Emden plant will have a production capacity of up to 300,000 electric vehicles per year in the final stage of development. To make that possible, the plant will gain a new hall with an area of almost 50,000 square meters (538,195 sq ft) where only EVs will be assembled. In addition, the press shop and body shop are to be expanded by 23,000 square meters (247,539 sq ft).
The paint shop will also be modernized and a new ‘bi-color hall’ with an area of 6,000 square meters (64,583 sq ft) will be constructed. This hall will be used to paint the vehicles’ roofs black, as the two-color paintwork is one of the trademarks of the ID. family. Finally, a new high-bay shelving unit and an automated small parts warehouse are also planned. All these buildings are expected to be completed by the summer of 2021.
“All in all, the company will invest about €1 billion in the transformation of the factory. Emden will be developed into a cornerstone of our electric strategy,” said Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of the Volkswagen brand. Volkswagen aims to become the world market leader in e-mobility and the brands’s goal is to launch more than 20 all-electric models by 2025.
