Volkswagen marks milestone US production of all-electric ID.4

Volkswagen says it has begun US production of its all-electric ID.4 compact SUV at its Chattanooga factory in Tennessee, the company’s first electric vehicle assembled in the United States.

Originally launched in September of 2020 and with European deliveries beginning in early 2021, the ID.4 is the Volkswagen Group’s most popular all-electric model, with 190,000 units delivered to customers globally since its launch.

Volkswagen unveiled US pricing for the ID.4 in mid-2021 and Volkswagen is now producing locally-made ID.4 with a goal to ramp up production at its Chattanooga factory to 7,000 vehicles per month by later this year – with a goal to further increase output through 2023.

Local customers looking to get their hands on a US-made ID.4 can expect to see deliveries as early as October – though, initially, the American-assembled ID.4 will only be available in either rear-wheel- or all-wheel-drive 82kWh battery form.

A cheaper, rear-wheel-drive version with a 62kWh battery will go into production later this year.

“We’re just starting to write a new chapter for Volkswagen in America, and it is very much an American story,” said Thomas Schäfer, chairman of the global Volkswagen brand.

“When we promised to bring Volkswagen EVs to the millions, it always included American workers building those EVs right there in Chattanooga.

“We couldn’t be prouder to see that vision realised today with our ID.4 electric flagship rolling off the lines. This is another milestone in Volkswagen’s ambitious electrification strategy for the US market and globally.”

Volkswagen invested $US800 million into the electrification of its Chattanooga factory and now employs more than 4,000 people while actively hiring more than 1,000 new production team members to help meet high customer demand for the ID.4 and Atlas SUV family.

And while the ID.4 is selling across the world and production expanding into the United States, Australian drivers could get to see the Volkswagen ID.4 electric SUV and ID.5 electric crossover by the end of 2023 according to recent reports. These would be followed 12 months later by the ID.3 after a mid-cycle refresh.