Today, the range of electric models which Volkswagen is articulating is very definite. We already know that the first products to hit the market will be the definitive versions of the Buzz ID e ID Cross, delving fully into one of the best-selling segments, that of compact and one of the most mythical in the brand, that of the multipurpose vehicles (remembering T1).
Because the models are chosen and their technical development is at a very advanced stage, those responsible for the Volkswagen they have to choose what production centers they have to be manufactured. Within the German consortium we know that Porsche and Audi have decided to assemble their battery-powered models in Germany, but Volkswagen is still thinking about what to do, since its sales volume is higher and it has to choose its growth strategy very well.
The simplest thing for the Bavarian conglomerate is to manufacture its electric models in Europe until its sales volume makes it advisable to take production to third countries. However, due to the bad image it has Volkswagen en United States, they would have decided to start big. According to Hinrich Woebcken, Head of Volkswagen in the United States, these models could be manufactured on the other side of the Atlantic.
According to Woebcken, if they want to fulfill their aspirations of making their range of electric models a best seller, they have to manufacture these products in North America. The reason he gives for thinking like this is that if Donald Trump's trade policy maintains tariffs on foreign products, the price increase that Volkswagen electrics would suffer would make its sales in the United States minimal, thus sinking its growth possibilities.
This approach has a dangerous counterpart, since the European Union (with Germany in the lead) would stand up to the duty of Donald Trump and therefore, if Volkswagen manufactures in the United States, they would also have to pay fees to bring their cars to the Old Continent. For now, the center that the German group has in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is the one with the most ballots to keep both models, although the last word has not yet been said, since Angela Merkel will surely manage to keep them at home.
Source – Volkswagen