Volkswagen recently invited us to Puebla, Mexico for the 50th anniversary of its factory there and to kick off the production of the Mk7 Golf in Mexico. Here's everything we learned.

It's massive

Volkswagen's Puebla, Mexico factory is the second biggest Volkswagen factory in the world next to Wolfsburg. It sits on an enormous 740-acre plot of land and employs 15,000 workers. Compare that to VW's Chattanooga, Tennessee factory, which employs 2000. The Puebla factory has turned out 10 million cars in its 50-year history, starting with the T1 Beetle in 1964. It's basically its own self-sustaining city within a city, and the whole place is alive with activity, giving it sort of a college campus vibe. Workers have access to numerous cafeterias, a clinic, and the Puebla public transit bus station.

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It employs an army of people and robots

Volkswagen de Mexico's workers receive a good amount of help from robots. The 280,000-square-foot body shop alone houses 426 robots, 136 of which are manned. We met one 17-year-old student studying automation and robotics in Volkswagen's apprentice program who seemed pretty excited with her current vocation. You'd be excited, too, if you got to play with gigantic robotic claws all day. Prospective young workers can join VW's apprentice program straight out of high school. During our visit, there were hundreds of young apprentices practicing machining, welding, and upholstery stitching.

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Workers are very well-paid

A local union represents all 15,000 workers, and wages are negotiated annually. The average annual salary among unionized workers is the equivalent of about $20,000, which, according to the United Nations, is far above the Mexican national average of about $7500. Volkswagen de Mexico uses the same training programs, build standards, logistics, and processes that VW implements at all of its factories throughout the world. The factory operates 24 hours a day Monday through Friday, with three shifts each day. Weekends are allocated to assembly line equipment and robotics maintenance.

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The robots drink lagoons of water

Within the factory grounds is a lagoon that captures rainwater. This water is then pumped to cooling towers which keep the robots and other machinery contained at an optimal temperature.

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Your next Volkswagen will probably be built here

If you already have a Volkswagen, there's a good chance it was constructed in Puebla, Mexico. If your planning on buying one, there's an even better chance that it will be born right here. Volkswagen estimates that 70 percent of the Golfs sold in North America will come from Puebla. Volkswagen invested $700 million to retrofit assembly lines for production of the current Golf, Jetta, and Beetle, which are all based on Volkswagen's new MQB architecture. Other assembly lines remain dedicated to the continued production of older cars. The Mk4 Jetta, for example, is Mexico's second best-selling car, and it's still sold as the Volkswagen Classico.

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There's a fleet of Type 2 vans that transport workers around the facility

When I first saw one of these tooling around the factory grounds, I was floored by how cool it was. Then, I quickly realized they were everywhere. These customized Type 2 vans serve as an internal public transportation system around the factory grounds. They're the more recent water-cooled Type 2s and have had their roofs lopped off for easier access. I want one.

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Volkswagens are a big deal in Puebla

Volkswagen pervades the culture of Puebla in innumerable ways. It's a huge boon to the local economy, and you get the sense that the factory is a real source of pride for its residents. Jettas and Golfs are everywhere in Puebla's cosmopolitan downtown district, and there are probably more than a few enthusiast groups in the area. Volkswagen President Martin Winterkorn, Puebla governor Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas, and a secretary to President Enrique Peña Nieto were all on hand for the start of Mk7 Golf production. Local television news crews were in attendance, and it was front-page news for local newspapers.

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