A battery-powered SUV that will be made in Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant in a couple of years will be publicly revealed at the New York International Auto Show in April, according to Autocar.
The vehicle, expected to be called the ID 4, will retain many of the same exterior themes as the ID Crozz concept car, which was first shown in 2017, Autocar reported.
The new SUV will be made in Germany for about two years before production starts up in Chattanooga, where construction on an $800 million expansion for electric vehicle assembly began late last year. The vehicle is slated to go on sale in the U.S. this year.
FirstBank buys bank in Franklin, Tennessee
The parent company of FirstBank said Tuesday it has acquired Franklin Synergy Bank to expand its presence in the Nashville suburbs of Williamson and Rutherford counties in a $611 million deal.
"We are joining forces with the leading community bank in two of the most attractive counties in our market area," said Christopher T. Holmes, president and CEO of FirstBank and its parent company FB Financial.
The merger creates the sixth biggest bank in metro Nashville and the biggest bank in Williamson County, the wealthiest county in Tennessee. Franklin Financial began in 2007 and has grown to 15 branches in Williamson, Rutherford and Davidson counties with $3.9 million in total assets.
FirstBank has 68 branches in Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia with $6.1 billion in assets. FirstBank expanded to Chattanooga in 2008 and took over the struggling Northwest Georgia Bank and its six offices in 2015. Last year, FirstBank acquired the offices in East Tennessee and Northwest Georgia of Atlantic Capital Bank, which will added $600 million in deposits and $400 million in loans to FirstBank's portfolio in the region.
Robotics competition names award winners
The TN Valley Robotics Squared Away Tournament was held at the Volkswagen Chattanooga conference center on Saturday with about 40 teams and 500 students taking part. Winners included:
* Elementary School Excellence Award - Farragut Fleet
* Middle School Excellence Award - CSLA Eaglets
* Teamwork Champions - Bacon & Eggs; CSLA Eaglets
* Teamwork 2nd Place - CSLA RoboMechanics; CSLA Cyber Eagles
* Robot Skills Champion - CSLA Eaglets
* Robot Skills 2nd Place - CSLA RoboMechanics
* Design Award - CSLA RoboMechanics
Charley Spencer of the nonprofit group Tennessee Valley Robotics said the teams will compete for spots in a state tournament held in Brentwood, Tennessee, in February or March. The state champion will then go to the world competition in Louisville, Kentucky, he said.