Jochem Heizmann, the German company's board member in charge of worldwide production, along with Christian Wulff, governor of Lower Saxony, where VW is headquartered, are also expected in the city.
Officials have said production at the $1 billion plant near Interstate 75 in southeastern Tennessee is scheduled to start in early 2011.
Jay Baron, president of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that could be a good time because the economy may be much better by then.
VW is third in world sales behind Toyota and General Motors.
However, Kristin Dziczek, director of the center's labor and industry group, said there are chinks in Toyota's armor now.
Toyota reported Thursday that September's U.S. sales were off 13 percent from a year ago. For the year so far, sales are down 28 percent.
Meanwhile, VW posted sales up 1.5 percent over the same period in 2008. For the year, VW is down 8.9 percent, the company reported. While Toyota has temporarily put on hold its planned plant near Tupelo, Miss., VW is moving ahead with the production facility in Chattanooga.
— ASSOCIATED PRESS
Real Estate Outlook: Price and Sale GainsStimulus funds to help VW plant in Tennessee
