VW to expand electric vehicle production worldwide

The Volkswagen Group has announced 16 locations around the globe that will produce battery-powered vehicles for the firm by the end of 2022.

The announcement was made by Matthias Müller, CEO of Volkswagen AG, at the Group's Annual Media Conference in Berlin.

The Group currently produces electric vehicles at three locations, and in two years' time a further nine Group plants are scheduled to be equipped for this purpose.

To ensure adequate battery capacity for the massive expansion of environmentally-friendly electric mobility, partnerships with battery manufacturers for Europe and China have already been agreed.

The contracts already awarded have a total volume of around EUR 20 billion. A supplier decision for North America will be taken shortly.

CEO Müller explained in Berlin: "Over the last few months, we have pulled out all the stops to implement ‘Roadmap E' with the necessary speed and determination.

“When "Roadmap E" was launched last fall, Volkswagen announced plans to build up to three million electric vehicles annually by 2025 and ‘market 80 new electric Group models.

“This year, another nine new vehicles, three of which will be purely electric-powered, will be added to the Group's electric portfolio of eight e-cars and plug-in hybrids.”