Volkswagen Group of America Celebrates Groundbreaking of New Lab for Emissions Testing and Powertrain Development

The $25 Million Lab Will Also Serve as a Support Center for Bugatti Dealers and Customers

OXNARD, Calif., May 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA) celebrated the groundbreaking of a new 63,000 square-foot lab that will house auto emissions testing and powertrain development for the Volkswagen Group brands: Volkswagen, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti. The $25 million lab will replace VWGoA's existing facility in Westlake Village.

"We are investing heavily in the U.S. market, where our growth strategy centers on making German engineering and technology widely accessible to drivers," said Matthias Barke, Volkswagen Group of America Emissions Laboratory and Facility Manager. "The testing and development that will take place here will play a large role in helping us achieve that goal."

The 63,000-square-foot facility on four acres at 201 N. Del Norte Blvd. will also serve as a customer service support center for Bugatti dealers and customers in North and South America. The new facility will open in phases over the course of 2012. It is being built specially for Volkswagen by developer Quattro-Del Norte, an affiliate of Oxnard-based BLT Enterprises, which signed VWGoA to a long-term lease.

"Volkswagen Group of America is pleased to celebrate this new facility, which will house engineers from around the world," said Barke. "Today marks a major milestone for our company and speaks volumes about the advanced technologies that we consistently strive to provide to our drivers."

About Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, the world's third-largest automaker and the largest carmaker in Europe. It houses the U.S. operations of a worldwide family of distinguished and exciting brands including Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Volkswagen, as well as VW Credit, Inc. Founded in 1955, the company's headquarters are in Herndon, Va., Volkswagen Group of America brings to the U.S. vehicles that marry the science of engineering and the art of styling, with the goal of offering attractive, safe, and environmentally sound automobiles that are competitive and set world standards in their respective classes. The company has approximately 3,500 employees in the United States and sells its vehicles through an 800-strong dealer network. With increasing popularity for its brands in the U.S., the company has set the goal of reaching one million car sales in the country by 2018.

For more information, please visit www.volkswagengroupamerica.com.

SOURCE Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

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