The Volkswagen plant in Hannover-Limmer is responsible for production Volkswagen California since 2004, with 600 employees: c 200,000th copy the world’s best-selling van has just rolled off the assembly line.

The anniversary copy is the California 6.1 Ocean, equipped with a 2.0 l TDI engine with a capacity of 204 horsepower, which is paired with a 7-speed DSG gearbox and 4Motion all-wheel drive. It has a two-tone Silver Reflection and Fortana Red body color and is equipped with a kitchen module with cabinetry and an electric retractable roof with red fabric and three windows.

“California has a rich history spanning 35 years”said Josef Baumert, director of production and logistics at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles: “200,000 cars produced also mean 200,000 customers who can travel the world behind the wheel of a California made in Hanover.” This exceptional success is due, in particular, to the employees of the main factory in Stocken and the specialized factory, who rely on their know-how and their passion to assemble what is undoubtedly the best-selling camper in the world every day. »

Volkswagen California: historical model

Originally developed on the basis of the third generation T van, the Volkswagen California was launched in 1988and 22,000 copies were produced. The iconic van was produced by partner motorhome manufacturer Westfalia, which produced 39,000 additional units based on the T4.

In 2004, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles acquired the company in-house production of its built-in vanwith the fifth generation of its vans: it was then that a special site of 7,500 m² was created in the Limmer district of Hanover.

Construction of the Hanover-Limmer plant began in 2003 California production began there in 2004. In the first year, 2,104 cars rolled off the assembly lines, in which 35 employees of Volkswagen Group Services worked. At the time, only about twenty cars were produced per day, then the pace increased over the years, reaching a total of 15,150 California models produced in 2017.

Volkswagen California: the next generation is coming

Collection 100,000th copy Volkswagen California celebrated in Limmer in 2018. Today, just five years after crossing this first symbolic threshold, the factory is already celebrating 200,000 units produced. From now on, up to 150 cars are produced at this plant every day, that is, something 31,000 cars are collected per yearin shops where almost 600 employees are currently working, divided into three teams.

At the factory in Hannover-Limmer, models T5.1 to T6.1 are assembled, and fromsummer 2024with the same principles as the current generation: the base car is produced at the main factory in Hannover-Stoken, and then transformed into a van, equipped by the specialists of the production department dedicated to California, located 8 km away. far away, at the Volkswagen Group Services production site.

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