(June 4, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Volkswagen has announced that it achieved a key production milestone at its Chattanooga assembly plant with the completion of its one-millionth vehicle, an Aurora Red Metallic 2020 Volkswagen Passat R-Line.

“It’s gratifying to me that our team is back to work and able to mark yet another key milestone since the opening of VW’s Chattanooga plant,” said Tom du Plessis, president and CEO of Volkswagen Chattanooga.

“Part of us getting back to normal is taking time to recognize these important achievements which are only possible because of the hard work and commitment of our exceptional team here in Chattanooga.”

The Volkswagen Chattanooga plant has been producing Passat vehicles since 2011. Ground was broken in 2009 for what was to become the world’s first LEED-Platinum certified manufacturing facility. Since, Volkswagen Chattanooga has grown to employ approximately 3,800 people, produced more than 700,000 Passat vehicles, 100,000 Atlas vehicles, and recently started production of the 2020 Atlas Cross Sport and the face-lifted 2021 Atlas. In that time, Chattanooga-assembled vehicles have been exported to Canada, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, and the Middle East.

Volkswagen Chattanooga will also be Volkswagen’s North American base for manufacturing electric vehicles, representing an approximately $800 million investment, starting in 2022. The expansion to enable U.S. production of long-range EVs began in November 2019.

The Passat marked Volkswagen’s return to assembling vehicles in America, after the Westmoreland facility in Pennsylvania closed in 1987. The 2012 Passat was specifically designed for the North American market—larger than the European vehicle, in order to offer the kind of interior and trunk space that North American buyers expect from a midsize sedan.

Nine years later, building on the success of the current generation’s combination of copious amounts of interior space, creature comforts and Volkswagen’s signature fun-to-drive nature, the 2020 Passat offers more than its predecessor of what matters — bolder design, upgraded technology, and enhanced access to convenience and driver-assistance features.