The call Crystal factory That Volkswagen It has inside Dresden It is a kind of avant-garde building where you can experience everything first hand family ID of the German brand. And yes, it is also a factory.
It was built in 2001 and its conception was solely and exclusively to give life to the then flagship of Volkswagen: the Phaeton. It was a model with such unique requirements that it needed unique features.
Besides being a completely transparent plant (hence the name of Crystal factory), the VW Phaeton was completely assembled by hand.
His visitors to this publicly accessible factory could not only see the process in detail. These facilities had a hotel, restaurant, concert hall and various locations all types. It was a full-fledged 360 experience.
The Phaeton It was built there until 2015 and then, in 2016, it underwent a brutal rebuild and went electric, first with the Volkswagen eGolf and from 2021 with the VW ID.3.
Upon entering the Crystal factory, you realize that everything is done with great taste with an inappropriate design for a car factory. It is several storeys high and exposed cars like it’s a shop window.
That’s how this one starts visitor experience. Future customers can ID.3 in a room where it is projected giant screens what electrification sounds and means in the car and the dedication that is acquired with the VW electric compact.
Room editalso to visit, is a great luxury, with Canadian hardwood floors and that gives it a very cozy look. everything is unpollutedthere is no sound, the light is warm and welcoming… in short, an assembly plant where they take care of each other detail to the max.
The visitors and customers can get information about Volkswagenthe electric mobility and digitization. They get a close-up view of production as the ride goes right past the production line. production.
About 64,000 visitors they were received in 2020, despite the many months of closure due to the pandemic. In 2021 the number was 43,000 and the number will continue to rise (for comparison, approx 146,000 visitors were received in 2019).
Since more than a quarter of all visitors come from abroad, guided tours are offered ten languages. There are also offers for children and families and tours with special points of interest, for example on the environment and architecture.
Visitor experience packages including a test drive, a visit to the e-VITRUM restaurant and tickets combined with the semperoperthe Dresden Transport Museum and the city tour complete the offer.
Record deliveries in 2021, with 4,320 units
Has alone two assembly lines and 340 employees and the number of vehicle deliveries to customers increased from 1,301 in 2019 and 3,293 in 2020 to 4,320 vehicles in 2021. Another important function of this factory in Dresden is to act as a pilot plant for the development and application of new technology in real serial processes.
And one of the principles is automation and digitization of complex operations within assembly and logistics. In 2018, Volkswagen set itself an ambitious goal to reduce the environmental impact of production.
By 2025, production will be one 45% more environmentally friendly that in 2010. the glass factory became the first of the brand’s locations worldwide to begin production of its carbon neutral vehicles in 2018.
The energy supply to the plant is already CO2 neutral, which results in savings 3,600 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
The commitment to the environment of the Crystal factory reaches more than interesting extremes: 350 trees were planted (cost approx. € 56,000) and special lamps that are not affected by insects in the Botanic Gardens close to.
Since May 2019, nine hives with 50,000 bees have been installed, producing approximately 360 kilograms honey (sold in the plant restaurant, called e-Vitrum).
so is the Crystal factory from Volkswagen in Dresden: it is a little more than a car factory where electric cars are also made… (how could it be otherwise).
