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Series production of the all-electric ID.4 started at the Volkswagen Chattanooga plant in this summer. Training is preparing the next generation for the automotive future. “E-mobility is booming in the USA – and people are loving the opportunity to help shape the future with us,” says Burkhard Ulrich, Human Resources Manager Volkswagen Chattanooga. This is where the first VW electric cars assembled in the USA will be built. The company is also creating a job boom in southern Tennessee: in order to soon be able to assemble the all-electric world SUV around the clock in three shifts, around 1200 new employees are being hired by the end of this year. "People love the opportunity to help shape the future with us."Burkhard Ulrich, Human Resources Manager Volkswagen Chattanooga A massive recruiting campaign is currently underway. Volkswagen Chattanooga is not only recruiting digitally, but also at petrol stations and on billboards. “Anyone who fills up their car here in the region will see: the company is hiring,” says Ulrich. And indeed, quite successfully: within a few months, almost a thousand new employees were found; there were about ten times more applicants. Volkswagen Chattanooga is not only hiring skilled workers for e-car production – but is also training them. The fostering of young talent starts early: even in Chattanooga’s schools, pupils can get to grips with robots, microcomputers and 3D printers, with digital design tools and topics such as renewable energies in company-sponsored E-Labs. In compact workshops and one-week summer camps, young people can learn about robot-supported high-tech automotive production. Job training based on the German model A crucial component of the “talent pipeline” is the high school “Mechatronics Academy” on the factory premises. Here, eight state teachers teach grades 11 and 12.

Take the ID.3, for example: the compact Volkswagen model can cover up to 558 kilometres with the 77-kWh battery and even with the slightly smaller 58-kWh battery, it is still capable of up to 429 kilometres (both according to WLTP). Experts believe that technological advances, such as improvements in storage material and the development of batteries, will significantly increase these distances. “Even 1,000 kilometres of range is quite possible,” says Fichtner. Volkswagen is also working with partner QuantumScape on the development of solid cell technology. The goal: even longer ranges and shorter charging times. 3. Electric cars have the best climate footprint Battery-powered electric cars have the smallest climate footprint of all drive systems, as has been proven in a multitude of scientific studies. One such study was carried out jointly by three renowned research institutes in 2020: the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). The key message: the climate benefits of electric cars have increased considerably in recent years. The reasons for this include advances in battery production, longer battery lives, and the higher proportion of renewable energies in Europe.

Starting today, the all-electric ID.5 will be coming off the production line at Volkswagen’s Zwickau site – this is the sixth electric model to come from the car plant in Saxony. One factory – six cars: an extraordinary challenge. Experts Robert Pahlow (start-up management) and Frank Schemmel (vehicle production) explain how it works. 1. Identical assembly concepts Zwickau produces models as diverse as the compact ID.3 from Volkswagen and the Q4 e-tron, an SUV from Audi. However, when it comes to what’s inside, the cars have a lot of similarities. The bumper, for example: the design is different, but the screws, tools and grips are the same. Robert Pahlow can count more than 120 instances of “identical concepts”. And the models from Zwickau are also closely related when it comes to the software. This is facilitated by the shared technical basis – the Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB). Volkswagen’s vehicle architecture developed specifically for electric drive gives long ranges, plenty of space inside and strong performance. 2. Flexible change Production is extremely versatile: various measures, such as a special indicator (“PR number”), guide the different models to the respective production line with so much precision that employees always know which parts they need to install.

Reduce loss of range with an all-electric ID. model in the winter, without compromising on comfort – is that possible? It is if you follow our nine tips. Tip 1: Mode B in the city, mode D in the country Every ID. model features driving modes B and D. B (for brake) is suited to the city: When you take your foot off the throttle, the car regenerates power – it uses the electric motor in the rear to brake, converting the kinetic energy into electrical energy, which is then stored in the battery. D (for drive), on the other hand, is the programme for motorways and major roads – here, the car continues to ‘sail’ when you take your foot off the throttle. Using kinetic energy to cover large distances is the most efficient way to move. Tip 2: Think ahead while driving and activate Eco mode Above speeds of around 60 km/h, efficiency is particularly dependent on aerodynamic drag. As speed increases, the power consumption of an electric car also increases disproportionately. An additional 10 km/h can have a noticeable effect on range. Think ahead while driving and use the sail function where possible. And select Eco mode from the driving profile selection! This reduces the power of the air conditioning slightly and supports efficient driving when accelerating. You can use kickdown to override this at any time. Driver assistance systems help save power. Tip 3: Use driver assistance systems All ID. models have the Eco Assistant on board as standard. This supports a forward-looking, efficient style of driving. For example, when the car approaches a corner or built-up area, the system uses messages to inform the driver when to take their foot off the throttle. The Eco Assistant also automatically increases recuperation where possible. All ID. models have the Eco Assistant on board as standard. Tip 4: Only heat the driver area Do you drive an ID. model with 2-zone or 3-zone climate control? If you are alone in the car, only heat the driver area if possible.

There’s only one car that stands out with its hint of blue: the ID.3 1st. “It was our first electric car around six months ago, and we deliberately chose the striking colour to send a message,” said Malte Sander, who is the second generation to run the driving school. Combustion engines to make way for electric cars The 43-year-old has been enthusiastically accelerating the transformation of the driving school in the direction of electric mobility ever since – the fleet now also includes four ID.4. “We currently have around 30 cars with a combustion engine in our fleet, and we want to replace as many of these as possible with electric cars. But this has to be done in line with operational processes,” explained Sander. It’s not only the costs that are a factor, the charging infrastructure is the main consideration. “As a driving school, we applied for several grants, and the first of those has now been approved. So the first step here at our HQ is to set up four charging stations.” It also makes sense for driving schools to have electric cars from the manufacturers’ perspective. Besides the sales of cars to driving schools, the main factor is the enthusiasm among learner drivers: if you learn to drive in an electric car, it is often the case that you then want to drive an electric car. And it is not unusual for this to even be the same model in which you learned to drive and passed your test – there’s still that positive connection. It is primarily the younger generation who will be the decisive factor in determining how quickly electric cars gradually replace combustion engines on the road. Which means driving schools help form opinions. “Electric mobility is the future and is a lot of fun.”

And now the ID.41 GTX is a vibrant new addition. Color & Trim Designer Mareike Hackbarth explains why red paintwork is such a good fit for Volkswagen models with power and performance. Mareike Hackbarth is delighted as she enters the studio. “I finally get to see the finished version of the car,” she says with a radiant smile as she walks around the ID.4 GTX. She strokes the shiny red paintwork. “How beautiful. The GTX looks really great as a full package.” The designer spent three years working on the car, and this is the first time she has seen the new member of the ID. family in real life. She comes from the world of colours and paintwork. In Volkswagen Design Color & Trim, as part of the MEB team she is responsible for the exterior colours of the all-electric ID. family, where she works on colour concepts, researching trends and futurology. Mareike Hackbarth has brought various work materials with her to the interview and unpacks them: painted sample metal panels, replica models, colour cards, bottles of colour – boxes of red. After all, that is what today is all about. The colour that attracts the most attention and triggers the most emotions. And that has a long, very athletic tradition at Volkswagen: the colour red. The list of shades of red at Volkswagen is long. The first shade of red was Coral Red in 1956, and more followed - usually with enticing names such as Bahia Red, Flash Red, Mars Red, Tornado Red or Salsa Red, and now Kings Red … Why has red been part of the range for so long? When buying a car, after manufacturer and model, the colour is generally the most important deciding factor. The colour red is very expressive. Red is in motion and very dynamic.

Frank Bekemeier, Chief Technology Officer for Electric Mobility at Volkswagen, and Jens Obernolte, Head of Energy and Weight Management, explain how the ID.4 GTX reconciles environmental awareness and driving pleasure. Mr Obernolte, a climate-friendly SUV – isn’t that a contradiction in terms? Obernolte: No, quite the opposite! At least not when you do it like we do: the ID.4 GTX is an all-electric SUV that doesn’t emit any exhaust fumes but offers plenty of performance. So you can drive around in a sporty, highly-efficient four-wheel drive with a clear conscience. Our customers can also have the driving experience and comfort of an SUV that many people aren’t willing to forego. And why should they? What makes driving pleasure so special in the ID.4 GTX? Obernolte: The great fascination of the ID.4 GTX is the silent power of the engine. When you put your foot down on the right-hand pedal, you push up to 220 kW(((Maximum electric performance 220 kW: According to maximum performance determined by UN-GTR.21, which can be called for a maximum of 30 seconds. The power available in individual driving situations depends on variable factors such as ambient temperature, temperature, battery status and conditioning state or physical ageing of the high-voltage battery. The availability of the maximum performance requires the temperature of the high-voltage battery to be between 23 and 50°C and a battery status of > 88%. Deviations in the aforementioned parameters in particular can lead to a reduction of power and even the maximum performance not being available.

We have successfully launched cars such as the ID.3, ID.4 and ID.6 specifically for China. Our electric cars have had an excellent reception: We are aiming to sell around 450,000 electrified cars this year – including all-electric models and plug-in hybrids. At the same time, we are expanding to make software a core competency, because digital strengths are becoming more and more of a factor in customers’ purchasing decisions. Automotive manufacturers who don’t offer the same digital connectivity as consumer electronics have already lost out. Ulbrich: Our successful electric cars are a prime example of how we are able to master the software challenge. In recent years we often said that the Volkswagen brand will move e-mobility from a niche product to the mainstream. Many people didn’t believe us at first – but now no one questions whether Volkswagen will deliver. We have an even more challenging process ahead of us with the further digitalisation of our cars. It’s not a sprint, it’s an ambitious marathon. The latest competitors include challengers such as Tesla and Big Tech companies. How can Volkswagen compete with their software expertise? Ulbrich: Volkswagen is already transitioning from a hardware company to an integrated provider of hardware, software and mobility services. The close collaboration with our new software entity CARIAD is helping us here, making us faster and drastically increasing in-house expertise. And we’re changing in other areas as well – a good example of this is Technical Development in Wolfsburg, which is intensifying its use of agile approaches. However, Volkswagen will not transform into a pure tech giant.