If you were to ask European drivers what would be their first choice of car brand, you would probably get a "one of the Big Five German Automakers" answer. Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and Volkswagen are synonymous with reliability and top-notch quality. Undoubtedly, they make the top choices of many drivers globally, not solely in Europe.

Still, there are significant differences between the Big Five, and Volkswagen stands as the most reliable option for economy cars, perfectly combining quality and prices. Since 1937, this German brand has been building its name and reputation upon its "people cars" produced at affordable costs for the masses.

As a result, Volkswagen expanded its area of business so much that it now prides itself on having the largest manufacturing plant in the world. If you haven't heard about the Volkswagen Wolfsburg Plant before, be aware that you're missing out a lot.

The Volkswagen Wolfsburg Plant is like no other regular factory you had a chance to see. With outrageously large premises, a huge workforce, enormous supplies, and high-end technology solutions, this plant is state-of-the-art. But how big is it exactly, and what secrets do its walls conceal?

Stay with us to learn more about the Volkswagen Wolfsburg Plant. We'll reveal the most interesting facts behind the world's largest car manufacturing plant and some news that may interest Volkswagen fans.

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The Birthplace Of The Beetle And Golf: A Brief History Of The Volkswagen Wolfsburg Plant

The brand tower on the Volkswagen Wolfsburg Plant.
Via: Volkswagen Newsroom

Before we dive into the current details surrounding the Volkswagen Wolfsburg Plant, let's first talk history. Wolfsburg is a city of the Lower Saxony, located 230 kilometers west of Berlin. It was founded in 1938 and immediately became home to Volkswagen car manufacturing.

Unfortunately, the factory saw only military equipment during World War II, becoming a terrible place of residence for forced workers and war prisoners. The VW Wolfsburg Plant flourished only after the war, when sales went up and the famous Volkswagen Beetle came to the market. The plant actually produced around 12 million units of this incredible ride.

A person holds a Volkswagen sign.
Via: Volkswagen Newsroom

The Volkswagen Wolfsburg Plant continued to develop and produce the brand's iconic models over the years, particularly the Golf and more recently the Tiguan. So, it's challenging to put the whole Wolfsburg history into this brief overview. Fortunately, VW chronicled everything into kilometers of files available to view on request (good luck with the 70,000 publications!).

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Interesting Facts And Figures Behind The Volkswagen Wolfsburg Plant

Inside the Volkswagen Wolfsburg Plant.
Via: Volkswagen Newsroom

Taking 6,500,000 m² of space and employing about 60,000 people, the Volkswagen Wolfsburg Plant can be considered a city. In fact, with the beautiful premises and regular tours (yes, you can be a tourist at Wolfsburg), the plant actually has a life on its own.

What's more, Volkswagen built the Autostadt or City of Cars right next to Wolfsburg. The City of Cars is meant to celebrate the brand's history with a collection of cars as well as lakes, parks, marketplaces, and even its own train station. So, you can embark on quite a journey when in Wolfsburg, although we doubt one day will cut it.

The car conveyor bridge of the Volkswagen Wolfsburg Plant.
Via: Volkswagen Newsroom

Did we mention that the factory can roll out around 3,500 cars a day? With the help of high-end technology and hardworking employees, the Volkswagen Wolfsburg Plant has put out more than 45 million vehicles (although the number increases as we speak).

To be completely honest, we admire the work of Volkswagen employees, as we can't imagine how much time it takes to run through the network of roads connecting the production facilities, warehouses, and other buildings. But again, Volkswagen probably has it all figured out with its locomotives and robots.

The Contemporary Struggles And Plans Of The Volkswagen Wolfsburg Plant

The production of Tiguan in the Volkswagen plant.
Via: Volkswagen Newsroom

Now, we can talk more about the factory details, but there is some pressing news that may interest you more at the moment. You're probably familiar with the global chip shortage that followed the pandemic and caused disruption in the entire automobile industry. Well, that too affected Volkswagen.

In the previous year, the world's largest car manufacturing plant produced cars way below average. It was, in fact, the worst year for Wolfsburg since 1958! The plant was even closed for the longest period in 82 years due to health concerns. The entire workforce (which is not modest, by any means) had to change the operational ways because of the pandemic. Naturally, all of this took a toll on the production.

An employee puts the Volkswagen sign on a car.
Via: Volkswagen Newsroom

So, we've seen Volkswagen struggling to put its most efficient plant back on track. Fortunately, the recent months have shown more stability for the car manufacturer. According to the most recent data we have, Volkswagen will even invest around €2 billion in building a new plant near Wolfsburg. The goal will be to develop the new Trinity electric model, in which Volkswagen puts high hopes.

All of this makes us wonder — will the Volkswagen Wolfsburg Plant transform into the EV factory? Is the big German automaker about to compete with Tesla? We'll have to wait and see.