VWSA achieves another export milestone

ED RICHARDSON
VOLKSWAGEN OF South Africa has exported its 25 000th five-cylinder diesel.
The five-cylinder export contract, announced by Volkswagen of South Africa managing director Andreas Tostmann in March this year, is worth more than R12-billion over the next six years.
The engines are shipped weekly and supplied to the Volkswagen Group’s Hannover plant in Germany for use in the production of LT Panel Vans, which are imported by VWSA for sale on the South African market.
A forecasted 35 000 engine units will be shipped next year. By 2010 an anticipated export volume of 440 000 units will be achieved.
VWSA invested R240-million in its facilities to successfully manage the contract.
The Uitenhage plant has also manufactured an annual average volume of 3 500 four-cylinder export engines over the past three years.