VW donates 98 bikes assembled by plant workers amid chip shortage

Volkswagen Chattanooga on Thursday donated 98 bikes to children of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chattanooga which were assembled by VW workers amid a production suspension due to a semiconductor chip shortage.

“I trust the vehicles are built to a good standard,” joked Tom du Plessis, who is chief executive at the Chattanooga assembly plant that employs more than 4,000 workers.

Jim Morgan, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs, said VW is a long-term significant sponsor of the organization.

He cited past gifts from Volkswagen, including computers for science, technology, engineering and mathematics classes.

VW’s du Plessis said that with the worldwide shortage of semiconductor chips used in building SUVs and cars, VW Chattanooga enabled employees to volunteer at one of 18 organizations during a recent two-week suspension in production.

During the period, 892 employees volunteered more than 4,500 hours.

“We could utilize this workforce we have to give back to the community,” du Plessis said.

In addition to volunteering, manufacturing department employees conducted planned assembly line and quality improvements. They also took part in training for the planned production of the ID.4 electric SUV which is to start in 2022. According to VW, workers were asked to take one day off during a week and still earned about 80% of their pay.

VW Chattanooga’s CEO said production has restarted at the plant. But, he said, the plant has about three to four weeks of visibility in terms of how many computer chips it expects to receive.

The plant likely will be constrained due to the chip shortage for much of the year, though the fourth quarter is expected to improve, du Plessis said.

“We’re working close with Germany,” he said.

Earlier this month, Volkswagen of America reported that the Chattanooga-made family of Atlas SUVs was the company’s No. 1 seller last quarter.

The company’s second quarter was its best since 1973, with 39,377 units of the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport sold in the period.

VW total sales were 120,520 in the quarter, up 72% over 2020, and 211,373 for the first half of 2021, up 46%, the company reported.

STAFF PHOTO BY MIKE PARE Children with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chattanooga, left, stand beside bikes assembled and donated to the clubs by Volkswagen. Also standing from left are Jim Morgan, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chattanooga; Tom du Plessis, CEO of Volkswagen Chattanooga, and Burkhard Ulrich, VW Chattanooga’s senior vice president of human resources.