Reinforcing its efforts to become an even more formidable market force in the U.S. and elsewhere, Volkswagen has just opened its new Test Center California (TCC) in the city of Oxnard. This 64,000 sq-ft facility is the only Volkswagen Group R & D center of its kind in North America and will focus on powertrain and systems development, governmental compliance and field quality testing. Speaking at the opening ceremony, David Geanacopoulos, Executive Vice President, General Counsel for Volkswagen Group of America indicated that the TCC engineering team will play a pivotal role in the integration of engine development into the product development process, and serve as the final stop before vehicles are approved for production.
"The Test Center California represents the next step in the Volkswagen Group’s ambitious U.S. growth strategy and will play a key role in the successful achievement of our 2018 business objectives here and around the world," Geanacopoulos said at the ceremony. "This state-of-the-art facility is where engineering, powertrain development, emissions testing, and quality come together to ensure the Volkswagen Group continues to deliver the best German-engineered products in the market today and in the years to come."
In addition to being tasked with emissions and component analysis work, the TCC also will serve as a dealer service and training center. While the bulk of its time will be dedicated to the cars of its parent brand, the Technical Center California also will support several other Volkswagen Group brands including Audi, Bentley, Bugatti and Porsche.
