Chattanooga’s Volkswagen dealership is delivering its first electric SUVs to a trio of customers this week as the automaker launches a U.S. rollout of the vehicle seen as vital to its future and the city’s factory.
“It’s hugely significant for us,” said Mark Gillies, senior manager for product and technology communications for Volkswagen of America. “We’re repositioning ourselves as an EV company.”
The battery-powered ID.4, the first global EV produced by Volkswagen, is aimed at buyers in the traditional compact SUV market, he said. The ID.4 will go head to head with such big sellers as the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV, which are part of a segment making up about 24% of all U.S. vehicle sales, Gillies said.
He cited the off-repeated comment of Volkswagen Chief Executive Herbert Diess that the company aims to make “EVs for millions and not millionaires,” in a reference to market leader Tesla.
“Tesla’s in the premium market,” Gillies said. “We want to play in the big sandbox.”