What You Can Expect to See and Do Here

Highlights of the exhibition are the changing presentations of Volkswagen brand studies and concept cars with alternative drive systems - such as the ID. family, the purely electrically powered series vehicles from Volkswagen.

The Showcar ID.¹ is on permanent display, which was launched as ID.3¹ in 2020 as the first vehicle from the MEB family. The MEB, the modular e-drive system, is also the basis for the other showcars currently on display in the exhibition. The ID.Crozz², the ID.Roomzz² and the ID.Buggy² are vehicle highlights that can only be seen in our exhibition at the moment.

Depending on availability and current Corona rules, you can also experience a test drive in the new ID.3¹.

A spacious, brightly-lit hall, the hum of cordless screwdrivers, autonomously driving transport vehicles: here you can personally experience the e-Golf³ being produced on-site. The new e-Golf has been manufactured in the Gläserne Manufaktur since April 2017. You are taken to within a few meters of the assembly line during the guided tour through the production area and can observe many of the assembly steps at close range.

Watch as technicians in white overalls transform the prefabricated car bodies and assembly units into finished vehicles before your very eyes. You can gain a sense of the very special atmosphere at the Gläserne Manufaktur everywhere you look and step.

Part of the vehicles’ path takes them through individual assembly steps where they are held aloft by the gripping arms of the overhead electric track and on the so-called shingle conveyor belt, which runs through the finishing process in an oval shape on both levels. The German name for the conveyor belt, “Schuppenband” or “scale belt”, comes from the scale-shaped parts – all made of fishbone parquet.

During the tour you can see for yourself and at close quarters the concentration and skill our specialists apply to their work. Marvel at innovative engineering done to perfection when the engine and body meet and are joined at the “wedding”.

To keep assembly operating seamlessly, driverless transport vehicles bring the components – which can even consist of entire powertrains – directly to their point of use.

We have prepared a special offer for customers whose e-Golf is being built here at the Gläserne Manufaktur. In addition to picking up your car at its point of origin, you can now observe the assembly of your new e-Golf first hand at selected production steps. These include the “wedding” – the automated bolting of the gear assembly to the chassis. It’s a highly emotional experience to watch this event take place on your own car and especially to initiate it yourself by pressing a button.

The Gläserne Manufaktur is much more than just a production and exhibition site, however. Its open and transparent architecture makes it a popular venue for events, trendsetting conferences, readings and concerts.

And it’s a place where not only new things come into being, but also where the future is shaped. Since 2017, the Gläserne Manufaktur has been an incubator for start-ups from all over the world. It’s where young entrepreneurs can tinker with their unique ideas to make driving, navigating and parking even simpler.

For students, there is the Future Mobility Campus, where they can become familiar with the subjects of factories and physics in an exciting, fun and age-appropriate way. What is special about it: the campus is located directly in the production area – only steps away from the assembly line. A live lesson in the spacious 150 square meter manufactory classroom!

When are you coming to visit? We look forward to welcoming you.