VW to build test track at Chattanooga plant

Volkswagen has officially announced that there will be a test track built at the Chattanooga, Tennessee plant. The track will be used to test new models that are set to be designed specifically for the US market, including the all new mid-size sedan that will be built at the Chattanooga plant.

While details are very few at this point, VW spokeswoman Jill Bratina said the designs of the $1 billion plant and test track have yet to be finalized. Track length is still undecided, but it will not be a speed track. There is a possibility that customers will be able to take delivery of their car at the plant, followed by a quick spin around the track.

“I don’t want to get into specifics about how it will be used,” Ms. Bratina said. “There are a lot of possibilities. It’s still in the early stages.”

VW already has a few test tracks around the world. In the U.S., there is one outside of Phoenix, Arizona that sits on about 12,000 acres. The ultimate VW test track is the "super secret" Ehra-Lessien track in Germany with a straightaway that measures over 5.5 miles in length.