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Volkswagen to create 1,000 new jobs in Chattanooga expansion

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe along with Volkswagen AG announced Monday that Chattanooga will be home to the company’s first electric vehicle manufacturing facility in North America.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Volkswagen announced Monday that Chattanooga will be the home to the company's first electric vehicle manufacturing facility in North America.

This will be the company's second U.S. facility, WRCB in Chattanooga reported. The automaker made the announcement Monday morning at the Detroit Auto show.

Governor Bill Haslam, Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, and Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger were all in Detroit for the major announcement. 

The project represents an investment of $800 million by Volkswagen and the creation of 1,000 jobs in Hamilton County.

In a release, Governor Haslam said, "The shift toward electric vehicles is a trend that can be seen worldwide, and Volkswagen's decision to locate its first North American EV manufacturing facility in Chattanooga underscores Tennessee's manufacturing strength and highly-skilled workforce."

"As one of Hamilton County's top employers, these additional 1,000 jobs will have a lasting impact on the region. I thank Volkswagen for its partnership and also applaud the company for its ongoing commitment to education and workforce alignment, which helps Tennessee build a pipeline of talent for years to come," Haslam said.

Volkswagen's Chattanooga facility is more than 3 million square feet and situated on 1,400 acres.

In 2011, the Chattanooga plant became the first and only automobile manufacturing facility in the world to be certified LEED Platinum.

The Volkswagen midsize Atlas SUV and Passat sedan are currently built in Chattanooga.

More than 100,000 Atlas SUVs and 700,000 Passats have been manufactured at the plant.

In March 2018, Volkswagen announced an additional investment of $340 million in Chattanooga to build the five-seat version of the Atlas, the Atlas Cross Sport, which will begin production later this year. The Atlas Cross Sport announcement brought Volkswagen's total investment at that time to $2.3 billion.

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