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By John Chauvin, General Manager As each day, week and month go by – progress on our new building seems to take another step towards the finish line. Not that we’re all that close to completion, our time frame is still September, October but watching the workers doing their thing is fun and exciting when I go visit the site. They really get a lot done each day. Our now “mega-expanded” service shop area is about 98% complete. There are a few small items still to finish but the technicians are back in the shop with lots of extra space, new equipment, new toolboxes, new breakroom, and fresh bright white paint all over. With all this fresh, clean, newness all around them, the technicians seem to really enjoy their workspace because I see smiles on their faces every day. The service drive itself is being expanded to three-lanes. The service write-up area is being reconfigured in such a way that each advisor faces the drive. This allows for better visibility to help customers as soon as they pull in. We’re also adding restrooms to the customer waiting area for your convenience. Showroom: What can I say, along with all of VW’s EV elements we’re adding, the actual size of the showroom itself will almost double. As you may have seen, the front of the building has been demolished and the iron support beams are going up. As I walk around, I can get a real feel for the actual size now that the perimeter beams and roof supports are in place. With all the new Volkswagen EV elements we’re constructing, new furniture for the entire dealership, and a modern look from front to back, Hewlett Volkswagen is on track to be a flagship facility for the brand. We feel like Georgetown and the entire Austin market is the perfect place to showcase this all-new Volkswagen facility and we really can’t wait for it to be complete and have you at our ribbon cutting. Stay tuned as we’ll announce those dates soon. Of course, we’re still going strong at our temporary location (two doors down). Our turn rates on new cars have been so high that VW has awarded us with additional inventory. We now have more new and pre-owned vehicles than we’ve had in over two years. Come see us! We look forward to serving you!

By Samantha Gomez, Service Drive Manager With new technology always in development our vehicles become smarter and more intelligent every year. A Volkswagen is equipped with multiple monitors that are continuously working for you while you are behind the wheel to ensure that you are well informed of the vehicle’s health and safety. The old days of knowing when something was wrong with your vehicle typically involved being broken down and stuck on the side of the road. With today’s smart vehicles those days are practically gone. Technology has provided us with early warning signs so that the driver knows exactly when service and maintenance are needed. I understand that it can be alarming to suddenly receive a message on the dashboard or have a warning indicator pop up. What I explain to my guests is this: think of the warning indicator as a traffic light. Green is ‘good’, yellow is ‘caution’ and red is ‘stop’. Green indicators may be items such as ‘push foot on brake pedal to start’ or ‘daytime running lights are on’. A few examples of yellow indicators are tire pressures need attention, exterior bulb is inoperative, windshield washer fluid low or an engine light indicator. If a warning light is flashing or a red warning indicator appears, the vehicle should not be driven and should be towed to the dealership. Please take a few moments to review the Warning Light Guide. Remember, you can always visit KnowYourVW.com or refer to your owner's manual for further information. Don’t forget, you can always give us a call at 512-681-3500 and we will be happy to help. Safe motoring!

Hewlett Volkswagen is undergoing a massive remodel and we couldn’t be more excited. Due to the size and scope of this undertaking, the project has several phases and they’re all coming along quite nicely. The first phase was to expand the service workshop area. We started with the north side, tore out the old asphalt, replaced the base and poured the slab to withstand the new addition. In doing so, we had to build a temporary wall down the middle of the shop and move a few technicians over to the south side of the building. This also required us to move a few technicians over to our Chevrolet shop. That phase was the first to be completed. All the new lifts and equipment were installed, and the technicians have all moved back in. The north side of the shop was next, doing the same thing. That phase is within a few weeks of completion and all the technicians will be back in the same building very soon. Next was our service drive. If you’ve driven by, you may have noticed our two-lane service drive awning was torn down to make room for the new and enclosed three-lane addition. All that concrete has been poured and the steel structures are up. The contractor then started the demo on the showroom. The glass came out, the walls came down and – you guessed it, more concrete poured. Our showroom will be expanded on all three sides, the front, the north, and the south. The completion date is set for late August. We’re very fortunate to be able to operate out of a temporary site on the Hewlett campus that’s just two doors down. It was our old “Hummer” building and although I say old, it’s really not old at all. Considering most dealers must operate out of a trailer during a remodel of this size, our temporary facility has a lot of great features including a comfortable waiting area and plenty of parking for our customers and our expanding inventory of new and used vehicles. While we perform the actual service on your vehicle at the newly remodeled shop, Hewlett Volkswagen’s service write up area is 2 doors down at the temporary location too (Hummer building) as many of you have already experienced. Stay tuned for news on our HUGE ribbon cutting celebration as we get closer to completion. We’d love to have you out to tour the new facility. John Chauvin General Manager – Hewlett Volkswagen

We’ve been planning, drawing, designing, changing, dreaming, you name it – all for this moment. Hewlett Volkswagen is now under renovation. As you may be aware, we’ve moved two doors down to our old Hewlett Hummer building. That facility is extremely nice and has a huge parking lot for all our inventory. The service drive is also located in that building, which is where you bring your vehicle for service now. Progress is being made. The north side of the shop on the original building is the side we expanded first. It’s completed, open and fully functional. We moved our technicians to that side so the construction team can start to expand the south side of the shop. In conjunction with the south side service demo, they’ve started the demolition of the showroom. Yes, our original VW building is almost non-recognizable now as they seem to knock-down and haul off huge sections daily. Obviously our temporary location (old Hummer building) is well marked with signage and directions as to how to get there if you accidently go to the original location. Both sales and service write up (pick up and drop off) is at that location so there’s no need to go to the old location until we move back in. While we apologize for this minor inconvenience, we invite you to come visit because our temporary location is quite impressive and spacious - complete with a full customer lounge stocked with refreshments and comfy chairs. We will update as progress continues, until then: happy motoring! John Chauvin – GM Hewlett Volkswagen, LP

By John Chauvin, General Manager By now the entire world knows there are production problems no matter what type of product or “widget” you produce. The blame can be placed in many different areas starting from Covid to micro-chip shortages, global supply chain disruptions, lack of workforce, high labor costs, and maybe even inflation. And that’s just naming a few. The list could go on forever if one were to take a survey of who to blame. Good companies have adjusted, created “work arounds” so to speak, adapted and continued to move forward. Some have not. I do have to credit the auto industry and its willingness to adjust. Of course, this does not come without its own set of issues and not all auto manufacturers have done it the same. Let’s talk about Volkswagen for, well, obvious reasons. The question Volkswagen of America (VWoA) has asked its Nation Dealer Advisory Council (NDAC) is “do we continue building product with a reduced amount of content (options) when we cannot get a particular part or stop production for that model line all together”? Even if it’s only one option they cannot obtain. This is an issue because trim levels typically come “standard” with a certain set of options and those standard options are what makes us as customers pick that trim level to begin with. If you’re a loyal VW enthusiast and you’ve upgraded your vehicle three times over the years, say - went from a Jetta to a Tiguan and now to an Atlas, chances are the trim level (S, SE or SEL), whichever one you’ve had, is what you’re accustomed to and want to continue to buy. The standard options may not all be the same on the now SE model as it was one or two vehicles ago. The deleted options that are normally standard are now given a credit (dollar amount removed) on the Monroney Label or window sticker. While you are not charged for this missing part, it is also not on the vehicle like it may have been in years past. Surprisingly the response to VWoA’s question is not quite 50/50 it’s more like 60/40 in favor of building the vehicle without a particular option if it cannot be obtained. And that’s what they’re doing. I guess one could argue a vehicle is a necessity but not all the options are a necessity. You could also argue - will this make my trade-in worth less when I’m ready to replace this vehicle? I could see points on both sides but at the end of the day, people need vehicles, VWoA needs to produce them, we need to sell them. Transportation needs do not come to a halt over a heated seat option that may not be available on production day (just an example). I’ve seen other auto manufacturers take a different approach and install the button and the wiring and deliver the vehicle without the guts of the “widget” itself. They tell the customer, to come back when it becomes available, and they’ll install it. This approach does require a bit of a “retrofit” process but does not come with a credit or discount on the window sticker. I guess both ways can and do work, it’s just a matter of choice. Cars are rolling off the assembly line and yes many are sold as they arrive or prior to arrival but I assure you, vehicles are still being produced. This may not be “business as usual” but then again, what in our life is these days? It’s just a matter of adjusting, adapting, and moving forward and for that, Volkswagen of America has done a tremendous job. As always, thank you for your business. Wishing you and your family, a safe and happy 4th. John Chauvin, General Manager Hewlett Volkswagen, L.P.

By Samantha Gomez, Service Drive Manager Patience is something I learned long ago, and it helps during these trying times as we adjust to the growth in our area. With growth comes challenges and change, including crowding, traffic and longer waits. I have encountered this almost everywhere; at the grocery store, the movies, shopping centers and even dining out. The Austin Chamber of Commerce shows that the population of Williamson County grew by 44.1% between 2010 and 2020. Travis County grew by 26%. That’s a lot of growth in a short period of time! So, what do we do about area growth? Well, we grow with it! We are experiencing an increase in the volume of guests we serve at Hewlett Volkswagen and we apologize if you have encountered a delay. To meet these demands, we have made some necessary adjustments to help assist with the scheduling and repair process to best accommodate estimated wait times and to minimize the inconvenience. Our Courtesy Shuttle services have increased, and we are utilizing Uber shuttle services to help with your transportation needs. Our Service Team offers Pit Stop services to our guests that would like to have their fluids and tire pressures checked prior to their scheduled appointment. We are also offering code read scans and battery health tests prior to scheduled appointments if needed. Many additional processes have been put into place to help with service requests. Please keep in mind that our current appointment scheduling and wait times are temporary as we are working on changes. What are our upcoming changes? With excitement, it is my pleasure to say that Hewlett Volkswagen is currently undergoing a building addition. The state-of-the art building remodel and expansion will provide us with more technician bays allowing for faster services and shorter appointment wait times. It will double the size of the waiting area for our guests' comfort, expand the sales floor allowing for an enhanced customer experience and the addition of an enlarged service drive will make dropping off and picking up your Volkswagen easier. In addition, our Management Team is working diligently on expanding our staff. We look forward to being able to share this expansion with you. We are here because of you, we appreciate your patience and as always, thank you for your continued business. Have a great summer, Samantha

As I mentioned in my last newsletter, we here at Hewlett Volkswagen are about to embark on a building remodel that will incorporate all of the new EV (electric vehicle) elements and a new design. This state-of-the-art design is currently one of only a small handful built throughout the United States. With Central Texas being an excellent location for electric vehicles, we’re extremely excited to have one of the very first marquis facilities for the Volkswagen brand. Along with the new look, our showroom will be expanded to accommodate additional sales staff. The service drive will have an additional lane added, the service department itself will have additional service bays added and the customer waiting lounge will get a major overhaul. While we anticipate this construction project will take over a year (maybe 18 months) we will be operating as normal for a short time more. The first phase of the project is the widening of the service department. By doing this first, that allows the sales staff to stay put for a few more months and the service techs will simply move to the other side of the shop. When the time comes and the showroom construction begins, we will be moving two doors down (south) to our Hummer building. The timeline as to how and when everything will play out is somewhat fluid. We will update our website on a regular basis as well as have plenty of signage throughout the property to direct you where to go. This small and relatively short inconvenience will be over before we know it, then it’s on to new beginnings and a bright future. The Volkswagen brand has exciting products (ID.Buzz or VW Bus) in the very near future. We here at Hewlett Volkswagen are extremely excited not only for those new products but to have a state-of-the-art marquis facility for the brand. We look forward to seeing you very soon! John Chauvin – GM Hewlett Volkswagen

Tom Fornshell (aka Dr. Service) Answers the Question: Can I Get a Cheap Key for My VW Online (or anywhere else)? The simple answer: Likely, no. The longer answer: Everyone wants to save money or find a good deal. Without getting into the debate about buying local and supporting your community, it seems everyone is looking for a deal. Even I, a guy born before cell phones, the internet, computers, and even color TV; use the world wide web to find a good product at a fair price… or great price. Warning: do not try this with a replacement key for your Volkswagen. Keys for your VW need to be programmed to your car both to enable the security for starting and for programming the buttons to lock and open locks. We have never, not one time, been able to program a key someone bought online for their Volkswagen. It is a waste of your money. This is one area where the good deal is simply not a deal. The problem is each key must have an electronic ”handshake” with your car before your car will allow the vehicle to run with that specific key. The only way for us to do that programming is to bounce the key off VW’s server in Germany. If the key is not listed in the server, we cannot program the car to accept the key’s handshake. VW will not change that. The entire reason is security. You don’t want someone to be able to make a key for your car and drive away with it. Germans take this responsibility very seriously (at least I know the VW and BMW people do). They make it mostly entirely impossible to bypass their security. Within the last 45 days we have had two VW’s towed to us because someone hired a locksmith to make a key for them and program it for their car. The immobilizers in the instrument clusters were fried due to the programming trickery a “key guy” did to their car. The rather expensive instrument clusters had to be replaced. There is no doubt a locksmith type person out there is taking great exception to this article, and maybe someone can reprogram an older Volkswagen for a key to work… maybe. But experience tells me otherwise. Save your money, time, and irritation. Get your key from a VW dealer even if it isn’t us. It will save you in the long run. Stay safe and happy motoring. Tom Fornshell Service & Parts Manager

As I mentioned in my previous newsletter, the microchip shortage is real and has caused shipments of new vehicles to dealers to come to a pedestrian crawl. We’re still getting deliveries but not nearly as many and obviously not fast enough. While just about every auto maker is faced with this, the microchip shortage is just that, a shortage. The supply hasn’t completely dried up, chips are still getting made and installed into new vehicles but at a much slower rate than we’re all used to. We’ve learned a few microchip production lessons along the way, but people ask all the time, “when is this going to end?” That question seems to have a different answer every time someone attempts to answer it. I too have my own opinion. Yes, Covid played a role in this. The original Covid outbreak (March of last year) more than likely started it. Chip factories did shut down and had somewhat of a stockpile of chips at the time, so they figured catching up would be no issue. That unfortunately hasn’t been the case. They’ve gone through their stockpile and a few manufacturers have had to shut down again due to other Covid outbreaks. The catching up part hasn’t caught up, so to speak. VW did a really good job in the beginning at predicting this and pushed their microchips over to higher volume model lines so they could continue sales at a somewhat decent pace. That too has slowed down. At first, we’d sell 100 new Volkswagen’s in a month and VW would ship us about 100. Then the summer months arrived and we’d sell 110-120 or more but VW’s shipments went down from 100 to 60 to sometimes only 40 per month. Obviously, this created a lot of visible empty black top on our lots. So, back to the title of this article: How to buy a car when there’s no inventory? Every auto manufacturer has some sort of “turn and earn” allocation system if you will. The faster you sell them, the faster they’ll send them. The cars (trucks/SUVs included) are still getting produced, albeit at a much lower rate, but they’re still coming. Being that the selection on the lot keeps shrinking, we have been forced to sell from the “incoming pipeline”. If we do not have exactly what you’re looking for, chances are, one is incoming (or very similar) and will be here very soon. We take a $500 deposit and that gives you first right of refusal. Obviously, we won’t contract you until you take delivery but it’s a way to get a vehicle. If you change your mind or simply do not want it when it arrives, we give you your deposit back and sell it to someone else (usually the same day). Like many other things in our lives these days, the auto industry is changing rapidly. While none of us can predict the future, what we can do is continue to offer the best sales and service experience possible. Because some things out of our control may change, our commitment to exceeding your sales and service experience remains our top priority. Stay safe, John Chauvin, General Manager

“The ID.4 is super easy to charge at home or at the Round Rock Outlet Mall!” Hewlett VW customer. “The Hewlett Sales team was really easy and fun to work with. I leased a new iD.4 and Paul, Amanda and Mike made it a breeze. Thank you everyone for making this the smoothest new vehicle decision ever. The financial advantages of leasing an electric Volkswagen are compelling. The staff here is very friendly and supportive. By leasing from VW Credit, I was able to get the $7,500 Federal Electric Vehicle Tax Credit applied immediately to my lease which reduced my payments, the Hewlett VW team arranged to eliminate vehicle sales taxes with a special lease, I won't have to buy gas, and my electricity to power the iD.4 is free for 36 months at a nationwide network of chargers provided by Volkswagen. The iD.4 is easy to drive and operate, and so quiet, it is our perfect commuter vehicle. The IQ.DRIVE features have also made my commute easier and safer. No regrets here.” Russell Austin, Texas “The Volkswagen ID 4 is better than a good car, it's a great one and surely a sign of even better EVs to come from VW.” Tim Stevens Road / Show “The VW ID.4 ticks all the boxes you want for a traditional compact crossover that just so happens to be electric.” Jeff Perez Motor1.com The Road to the 2021 World Car Awards journey concluded today with the declaration of the VOLKSWAGEN ID.4 as the 2021 World Car of the Year as voted by our 93 distinguished international journalists from 28 countries that make up the World Car Awards jury panel. This year’s winner was chosen from an initial entry list of 24 vehicles from all over the world, then a short list of three finalists as announced on March 30, 2021. The Top Three finalists for 2021 are the Honda e, the Toyota Yaris and the Volkswagen ID.4. Vehicles eligible for the World Car of the Year award must be produced in volumes of at least 10,000 units/year, must be priced below the luxury-car level in their primary markets, and must be “on-sale” in at least two major markets, on at least two separate continents, between May 1, 2020, and May 1, 2021.

Volkswagen’s first - from the ground up - designed electric car for our market is a huge hit. It’s an SUV called ID.4 that seems bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Its spaciousness welcomes small and large framed drivers alike. Volkswagen did it right. Rather than making the ID.4 look like a spaceship with tiny little tires or something out of a Sci-Fi movie, this vehicle looks like a regular car with inherently Volkswagen styling. I was pleasantly surprised by this car the first time I drove it. Oh, and it is super quiet, too. In fact, it is so quite Volkswagen gave it a voice! The ID.4 actually projects an electric car sound below 20 mph, when there is no noticeable road noise, so pedestrians can hear it coming. For charging, imagine, if you will, filling your gasoline powered car up from your home and rarely or never having to visit a gas station unless you were taking a long trip. With the ID.4 your garage is your “gas station”. Installing a level II charger in your home is already commonplace and it can charge your car overnight, so you always leave home with a full “tank” (charge) if you want to. With a range of 250 miles or more, most people will find this is all the charge they ever need; so, day to day commuting and errands don’t require a visit to a charging station. If you do end up on a longer trip, Volkswagen partnered with Electrify America in building charging stations all over the country. In fact, Rainer Zietlow and Derek Collins recently embarked on an ID.4 cross country trip to visit over 600 VW dealers crisscrossing 48 states. To make things easy, the ID.4 takes a standard type1 (J1772) charging plug available at most all charging stations (Tesla charger plugs are different). With fewer moving parts, less maintenance is required. Imagine no more oil changes! You will still need some maintenance items like tires and brakes from time to time like all cars do, but overall, you’ll spend less time taking care of your car and more time enjoying it. Electric cars have some nice features like no carbon emissions and Volkswagen has added more to the ID.4 like the following driver focused features: Keyless operation with no start stop button. All you do is get in the car with a key in your pocket or purse and put your foot on the brake to put ID.4 in gear and you’re off. Leaving the vehicle is as easy as putting it in park and getting out. The ID.4 is smart enough to turn itself off. Free charging for three years at Electrify America stations all over the country. Over the air software updates eliminating the need for a trip to the dealer for updates and enhancements or new features. These are just some of the advantages of the ID.4 so there is no wonder the ID in ID.4 stands for Intelligent Design. The ID.4 has only been available for a few months and there are already over a hundred running around the Austin area; so, come check them out. Maybe you will be as impressed as I am with our new electric car. As always, happy motoring. Tom Fornshell, Service & Parts Manager

Let’s face it, Texas is hot. Window tint is not something we always think of during the fall or winter months but come summer – we’re all looking for ways to cool off. Sometimes when it’s 100 degrees outside, the inside of your vehicle can climb to 130 degrees. Did you know that 74% of all non-invasive melanoma skin cancer cases are found on the left side of the driver's body? (according to skincare.org). Did you know that window tint can block 99% of UVA rays? Did you know that we install LLumar ® window tint at Hewlett Volkswagen? LLumar offers the highest quality product along with: o Style & privacy, o More than 99% UV Protection o No electronic signal interference o Limited Lifetime Warranty (guaranteed not to turn purple or bubble) o Heat rejection Summer is here. If you did not get your windows tinted when you bought your vehicle, have no fear! It’s not too late. Come by today and speak with a member of our VW Sales Team or call our Accessories Department for more information 512-681-3194. With an appointment, we can get you in and out quickly. Let us install your window tint and help make you and your car, summer cool!