In order to meet the demand of their flagship electric model, Volkswagen has begun assembly of the ID.4 utility at their plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

This additional assembly bolsters VW’s goal to increase ID.4 production, starting with a climb to 7,000 units per month in the fourth quarter of 2022 and increasing more in 2023, with a grander vision of 55 percent of US sales coming from their EV lines by 2030. Chattanooga is now the sixth global site producing models for their electric line-up.

In its initial offerings, the American-assembled ID.4 will be available as either a rear-wheel or all-wheel drive model, each powered by an 82kWh battery. Later this year, another rear-wheel model, packaged with a smaller 62kWh battery, will also enter production. This model is said to retail with a lower MSRP.

The American-made ID.4 is primarily sourced in North America, with components made in 11 states. Some of those include steel in Alabama and Ohio, interior pieces fabricated in Indiana and South Carolina, and electronics made in Kentucky and North Carolina. The EV battery is supplied by SK Innovation, located in Georgia.

“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 realized today with our ID.4 electric flagship rolling off the lines. This is another milestone in Volkswagen’s ambitious electrification strategy for the U.S. market and globally.”

This production influx is the result of a $800 million investment into the electrification of the Chattanooga plant, including facilities dedicated to both vehicle and battery assembly. The plant employs more than 4,000 people, looking to hire more than 1,000 more workers through 2022 in order to meet demand for the ID.4 and Atlas SUV. Gearing up for the task, VW and plant workers have invested more than 75,000 hours of workforce training dedicated to electric vehicles and high-voltage systems.

The first vehicles from the Chattanooga plant will arrive in dealerships as early as October 2022. The ID.4 is the first vehicle to be produced as part of Volkswagen’s ID sub-brand, and it managed to secure a “Best EV’ victory in our 2022 Drivers’ Choice Awards.