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."