Volkswagen looks to build new EV facilities in the U.S., exec says

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Volkswagen is “actively” looking to establish new assembly and battery facilities in the U.S., Volkswagen of America CEO Scott Keogh told CNBC on Wednesday.

Keogh declined to discuss potential locations for such operations. The German automaker’s electrification efforts are currently based in Tennessee, including localized production of the VW ID.4 crossover EV, which is set to begin later this year.

“We are actively in the process of looking at another production facility and also looking at a battery facility,” Keogh said in an interview.

Volkswagen is still discussing and evaluating its options, and no decisions have been made, a company spokesperson said.

Such facilities, whether new or expansions, would mean a significant decision and likely billions of dollars in new U.S. investment for VW, which currently has North American assembly plants in Tennessee and Mexico.

Any investment would follow similar moves by other companies to increase EV production in the U.S. – a major goal of the Biden administration.

The potential for new VW electric vehicle facilities in the U.S. was previously reported by European media.

Keogh’s comments followed the grand opening of the German automaker’s new $22 million electric vehicle battery lab, which is located near its sole American assembly plant in Chattanooga. It’s part of a $7.1 billion commitment to boost its EV efforts in North America.

The new 32,000-square-foot battery lab will test and optimize batteries for electric vehicles for the U.S. market. It’s one of four such facilities that VW has announced globally.