VW hasn't yet publicly committed to building one or even two factories in the U.S. (though it's apparently considering the South, specifically South Carolina), but is making statements that sound like it's definitely on the way. VW's head of production, Jochem Heizmann, has said that the requirements for a factory are that: it not be in a hurricane zone, it be near a major airport, and that there be "no other production car in the vicinity" -- or at least, Google Translate said that for him.The factory that
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
MemphisNET @ Mar 26th 2008 9:46AM
The Passat IS a very nice car, but they are bang on the money - no pun intended - that it is too expensive for what it is, no matter how much 'refined, german engineering' there is.
PAT @ Mar 26th 2008 10:05AM
Good to hear. Hopefully this not just an empty statement, being they have yet to commit to building here.
Schmeltz @ Mar 26th 2008 10:05AM
Always glad to hear a car factory is going to be built in the U.S., even if it is foreign nameplate. Does anyone know what model or models will be built at this plant yet?
udham @ Jun 14th 2008 4:10AM
Mexico is effectively the dollar zone, the US dollar vs Mexican Peso for the last 5 years
http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?from=USD&to=MXN&amt=1&t=5y
Contrast with Canadian Dollar
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=CADUSD=X&t=5y&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=
Or the Euro
http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?from=EUR&to=USD&amt=1&t=5y
John Johnson @ Mar 26th 2008 10:07AM
Your foreign currency does go much farther here.
You can buy a GTI in the UK for 20k pounds. That's $40k in the US. For that money, you can get a fully loaded R32 and have enough left over to service it :P.
71cuda @ Mar 26th 2008 10:32AM
Heck, you get get a R32 without nav for $29000 if you finance with VW.
RobAFromNC @ Mar 26th 2008 10:19AM
The reason most foreign manufacturers choose the South to build their plants is because those states are right to work states and don't have the union BS to worry about. They also have less government regulation and a lower cost of living.
BassClef @ Mar 26th 2008 11:40AM
Amen! That's why Alabama has plants building Mercedes M,R, and GL class, Hyundai Sonata, and Honda Odyssey, 3.5L V6 and (soon) Ridgeline but no American plants.
MARCO @ Mar 26th 2008 10:31AM
I wonder whats VW's definition of "vicinity" is...I live in Greenville SC, and its no doubt that BMW has a large foothold in the upstate. Not to mention they are practically right next to the fairly large Greenville/Spartanburg Airport. BMW also uses to large for portion of Charleston's ports to transport their vehicles overseas. Not sure VW in upstate South Carolina would work out.
Galley @ Mar 26th 2008 10:30AM
We here in Greenville certainly have everything VW needs for their new plant, but the proposed Powdersville location is only about 20 miles from BMW. Hmmm...
Dausman @ Mar 26th 2008 10:32AM
The Anderson SC area that has been mentioned is also very close to a major university...Clemson...believe they may already have courses/majors dealing with auto industry...not completely certain.
don't how they might define or clarify , "no other production car in the vicinity", because the BMW plant is located in the Upstate region but is some 40(+ or-) miles away....Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is a few miles less from Anderson and just a few miles from BMW off I-85...Anderson should be a great VW choice...they will benefit, as will SC .....SC will welcome the new auto builder if that is indeed their choice.
VP @ Mar 26th 2008 11:02AM
Why don't they just take over either Ford or GM plants here in Atlanta and retool one of them? There is no other car manufacturer in the vicinity (Kia is at the alabama border), and you can't get a better airport than Atlanta. Plus GA could use some of that money right now.
big L @ Mar 26th 2008 11:07AM
gad I wish Schwarzenegger would court some of these planst. Calif used to make Camaro and Fb here.
the Legislature should pass an enterprise zone and get these companies. that'd be the day. It would interfere with the 5 yr Soviet-type wheat harvest forecast.
olddavid @ Mar 26th 2008 11:15AM
I have no dog in this fight, but why is the old Westmoreland plant not in the running? Sure the old manager's ghost probably still roams the halls, but hell, that's just SOP, right? Seriously, back in the late 70's they spent some real $$$ to bring that place on line. Anybody from the area know what's going on at the old VWoA plant?
Mark @ Mar 26th 2008 11:30AM
How about Greensboro, NC? Out of immediate hurricane threat, good, albeit small, airport, and a direct rail connection to the ports at Wilmington and Morehead City for those parts that do need to be imported.
gary @ Mar 26th 2008 11:34AM
Hopefully this is correct and VW does not simply expand it's Mexican factory.
erth @ Mar 26th 2008 12:37PM
i heard a rumor that windsor, ontario was in the running. but, you know about rumors....
jwaid01 @ Mar 26th 2008 12:41PM
Chattanooga, TN has a mega site listed and according to the Mayor in a recent speech there will be a major anoucement in the near future. This site has been a finalist for Toyota twice. We will see.
Brad Ysseldyke @ Mar 26th 2008 12:42PM
So they don't want it in a Hurricane Zone and they want it near an airport?
Can Michigan PLEASE raise its hand!?!?
We need the money, we need the jobs, I'm sure you can keep the UAW off your back if you pay workers a proper wage and give them decent benefits.
I'll give you guys a hint: Come here to Grand Rapids and I'll buy a Rabbit tomorrow.
brmacrae @ Mar 26th 2008 2:22PM
I was just talking to a friend about this a few days ago..........I'd love to see Michigan get some new jobs.....
I think the fundamental problem is that all the thousands of ex-auto workers here in Michigan, whether laid off or early-retired, were making far more money (w/ benefits) than the import manufacturers are paying down South.........They're choosing parts of the country where people would be HAPPY to make $20 an hour (for example).......up here, guys are used to making $35 an hour plus benefits for putting windshields in cars on the assembly line.
The question is, how long with this attitude prevail? Depending on how long the severance packages hold out, some of these workers might get smart QUICK and realize that they'd be better off with a $20/hr assembly line job than nothing at all.
Just my .02