Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles celebrates 70 years of its Hanover plant

On March 8, 1956, production of the legendary T1 Transporter began in the capital of Lower Saxony piese auto online.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles celebrates 70 years of its Hanover plant

On Sunday, March 8, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles celebrated the 70th anniversary of the start of production at the brand's main plant in Hanover. It was on this festive day in 1956 that the first examples of the legendary T1 Transporter began to roll off the assembly lines in the state of Lower Saxony, and in 2026 the production facility can rightly be described as one of the most modern automobile plants in Europe. On the occasion of the significant event, the Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG Oliver Blume said – “The Hanover plant combines long-standing traditions and technological progress in a remarkable way. In recent years, it has managed to establish itself as a high-tech center for the development of electric mobility, while maintaining its ability to effectively support the production of all types of drive systems. This year, the plant, which started in 1956, will produce its eleven millionth vehicle, and in 2027, full-scale production of the ID. Buzz AD – the first series-produced fully autonomous car in Europe – will begin in Hanover.” The pre-series production of the fully autonomous version of the ID. Buzz is already underway at the plant, with which Hanover is taking a decisive step on the path to the industrialization of autonomous mobility in Europe.

Stavros Christidis, Chairman of the Works Council of the Hanover plant, also noted with pride: “Over the past 70 years, nearly 11 million vehicles have been produced here – all thanks to the great people who have filled the factory’s production halls with life and meaning for decades. The automotive industry is currently under enormous pressure, but our Hanover plant is not just a production facility – it is a close-knit community. It is an integral part of the family history of tens of thousands of people – in some cases three generations. Every hall, every machine and every assembly line in this plant is connected to the personal story of people who achieve extraordinary things and who stick together in good times and in difficult times. It is this history and this inner attitude that are the factors on which the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand is built. We are proud of our successful history and believe that it is the foundation of our future.”

Stefan Reiche, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and responsible for production and logistics, said: "Our Hanover plant is powered exclusively by green electricity and uses a biomass cogeneration plant. Our goal is to achieve climate-neutral production at all of our production sites, including the Hanover plant, by 2040."

Preparations are already underway in Hanover for the pre-series production of the fully autonomous ID. Buzz, which will mark the initial phase of industrialization of this cutting-edge technology. At the next stage, Hanover will begin the first large-scale production of robotic vans with Mobileye technology in Europe, which is part of the MOIA Turnkey Solution - a comprehensive solution created by the Volkswagen Group subsidiary that combines vehicles, autonomous driving systems, software solutions for fleet management and autonomous mobility services in cities. In the coming months, the volume of pre-series production in Hanover will be increased to around 500 vehicles, planned for participation in various projects in Europe and the USA. It is interesting to note that models with autonomous capabilities go through the same stages and production units as all other versions of the ID. Buzz, but the process also includes a specially designed additional cycle for the installation of specific components such as the combined module with cameras, radar and lidar sensors on the roof and the microprocessor unit with high computing power from the passenger side to the driver. At the end of this cycle, the calibration of the sensors and the final approval of the respective vehicle are also carried out. Full-scale series production of the fully autonomous ID. Buzz is expected to begin in 2027.

How does it all begin?

The plans for the construction of the Volkswagen plant in Hanover seven decades ago arose and were built entirely on the spectacular market success of the T1 – the first generation of the Volkswagen Transporter. Initially, production of the light-duty model began in 1950 in parallel with that of the “turtle” at the company’s main plant in Wolfsburg, but demand quickly exceeded the capacity of the production facilities. Therefore, in 1955, the then CEO of Volkswagenwerk AG, Heinrich Nordhoff, decided to build a separate plant in Hanover. All this happened during a period of rapid economic development, which became known as the “German economic miracle”, and the new plant was built in just one year and the first T1 rolled off the assembly line in Hanover on the festive 8th of March 1956.

Perfect location

The choice of location for the Hanover plant was not at all accidental from a logistical point of view – it is only an hour’s drive from the Volkswagen Group headquarters in Wolfsburg and is perfectly connected to the most important transport routes – to the main road arteries with its close proximity to the motorway network and to the railway network via the independent factory railway. Also very important is the proximity to the Mittelland waterway, through which the plant is directly connected to the European waterway network. Thanks to the far-sighted decision to locate the plant in perfect connection with this logistics network, the production facilities in Hanover have been able to supply all European and world markets without hindrance for 70 years. 70 years of Hanover, seven generations of the Bulli. The history of the Hanover plant is still inextricably linked to the incredible success of the Volkswagen van. After the first generation T1, its successors continue to roll off the assembly lines in Lower Saxony – from the T2 to the T6.1 and the seventh generation of the iconic model. Today, the product range is built on three main pillars – ID. Buzz, Multivan and Transporter/Caravelle, two of which are produced in Hanover – the Multivan and the brand’s most modern, fully electric product in the form of the passenger ID. Buzz and its light-duty variant ID. Buzz Cargo.




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On Sunday, March 8, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles celebrated the 70th anniversary of the start of production at the brand's main plant in Hanover

Stavros Christidis, Chairman of the Works Council of the Hanover plant, also noted with pride: “Over the past 70 years, nearly 11 million vehicles have been produced here – all thanks to the great people who have filled the factory’s production halls with life and meaning for decades