Yanfeng Automotive Interiors officially opened its new manufacturing facility today in Chattanooga, Tenn. to support Volkswagen Chattanooga. This new facility represents an investment of $55 million, and creates 325 new jobs.
Yanfeng’s new Chattanooga facility manufactures interior components, including floor consoles, instrument panels and trunk trim for the Volkswagen Atlas, which entered series production in December of 2016.
“Yanfeng’s decision to locate here in Chattanooga, so close to the factory, is vitally important to the success of our plant, and it is also great news for the community,” said Christian Koch, President and CEO at Volkswagen Chattanooga.
“Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is pleased to support Volkswagen Chattanooga with interior components for the new Atlas, and to be part of the Chattanooga community,” said Nathan Bowen, vice president and general manager, Americas for Yanfeng Automotive Interiors. “This plant is critical to our customer strategy of supporting Volkswagen on a fully global basis.”
The Atlas, engineered from Volkswagen’s Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) architecture, draws on the latest Volkswagen design DNA to create a bold new look in the SUV segment. At 198.3 inches long, 77.9 inches wide, and 69.6 inches high, Atlas is larger than any other Volkswagen on sale in the U.S.
Inside, the Atlas makes maximum use of its dimensions to offer space for seven adults and their luggage. The third-row can be easily reached by an innovative folding seat solution, one that works even with child seats installed in the second row. Simple, driver-centric displays enhance the feeling behind the wheel rather than distracting from it; while the available Volkswagen Digital Cockpit allows drivers to reconfigure how they view vehicle information.
Volkswagen Chattanooga is in the ramp-up phase of the Atlas development and is in the middle of a major hiring phase. Volkswagen added 400 workers in the last two quarters of 2016 and is hiring an additional 500 workers in the first two quarters of 2017.
About Yanfeng Automotive Interiors
Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is the world’s leading supplier of instrument panels and cockpit systems, door panels, floor consoles and overhead consoles. Headquartered in Shanghai, the company has more than 90 manufacturing and technical centers in 17 countries and employs over 28,000 people globally. Established in 2015, Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is a joint venture between Yanfeng Automotive Trim Systems Co., Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Huayu Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. (HASCO), the component group of SAIC Motor Corporation Limited (SAIC Motor), and Johnson Controls a global multi-industrial company. For more information, please visit www.YFAI.com.
About Volkswagen Chattanooga
The Volkswagen Group of America, Chattanooga Operations, LLC (Volkswagen Chattanooga) manufacturing facility began production in April 2011 and currently builds the all-new Passat sedan, specifically designed for the North American market and winner of the 2012 Motor Trend Magazine Car of the Year award. In July of 2014, it was announced that Volkswagen Chattanooga would build a new midsize sport utility vehicle, the Volkswagen Atlas. Volkswagen Chattanooga currently employs 2800 team members. Volkswagen also announced the establishment of an Engineering & Planning Center in Chattanooga. Volkswagen Chattanooga is the first and still only car factory worldwide with a LEED Platinum certification. It is also certified to international standards for energy management (ISO 50001), environmental management (ISO 14001) and quality management (ISO 9001).
