Volkswagen will invest R$1 billion (about $US410 million) in its truck and bus division in Brazil from March, writes Rogério Louro Alves.
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The investment will be made in the Resende plant, Rio de Janeiro state, and in the launch of new vehicles.
Resende is the only factory in the world producing Volkswagen trucks and buses and was opened in 1996 with about R$ 500 million (about $US 205 million) invested to date.
Volkswagen trucks and buses are produced in Brazil for the local market and export to Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Volkswagen sold 17,844 trucks and bus chassis in Brazil last year, an increase of 30.6 percent over the 13,660 units sold in 2000. In 2001, bus chassis sales increased 15.6 percent to 3,991.
“In 2002 we expect to increase truck and bus sales by five percent in Brazil”, said Roberto Cortes, South America superintendent director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
Volkswagen has produced trucks in Brazil since 1980 when the company bought Chrysler do Brasil and started to made Volkswagen-badged Dodge trucks.
