Diesel Advocates Happy with VW Chattanooga Plant Opening

For two years the American automotive industry was waiting for Volkswagen to get things rolling at their new manufacturing site in Chattanooga, Tennessee. As the German manufacturing was opening the plant on Tuesday, various groups related with the industry have begun calculating what the new plant will mean for the local auto market. And the conclusion is simple: a lot.

Apart for the over 10,000 direct or indirect jobs the new Volkswagen plant will create in the US, the star of production of models like the new Passat will translate into a significant boost in fuel-efficient and affordable vehicles available on the market, other than the alternative powered ones.

At least this is what one of the main advocates of the supremacy of diesel engines over electric drive trains believes. The Diesel Technology Forum (DTF) praised VW's entrance in the auto manufacturing industry in the US, saying that nothing bad can come out of it.

"Volkswagen's new Chattanooga plant will produce a significant number of new clean diesel Passat TDI vehicles – as much as 30 percent when at full production. These new low-emission and high-gas mileage vehicles will be an important part of the solution for more fuel-efficient and clean energy transportation,” said Allen Schaeffer, DTF director.

The hope is that having a manufacturer the size of Volkswagen producing internal combustion cars that can rival anytime any hybrid model on the market would finally beat some sense into the American public, who seems to be completely mesmerized by this type of vehicles, at times without just cause. A first step, if you like, towards bringing diesel into the hearts of the Americans and increase its importance on the market.