Audi could stop producing the Q8 e-tron in Europe

German media have been reporting in recent days on a recent report claiming that Audi’s new chief, Gernot Döllner, plans to carry out some significant structural changes that could affect the Brussels plant, from whose assembly line the Q8 e-tron currently rolls off. The report indicates that, although Döllner initially intended to keep production of the new generation of the Q8 e-tron in Brussels – which is due to reach the market in 2026 – he is now no longer so sure about this.

Döllner’s new strategy for Audi, as reported, is to cut costs and improve efficiency. The new head of the four-ring brand wants the company to transform into an organisation focused on software and process management. This means maximising the efficiency with which its plants are used, which is far from the current situation.

With the current Q8 e-tron, the Brussels plant is far from operating at full capacity. Audi also decided to start producing the Q4 e-tron at this same plant, with the aim of reducing the workload at its Zwickau plant. However, low demand for the ID. family models of Volkswagen, which are also built there, makes this move by the company completely unnecessary, as Zwickau alone is capable of meeting all existing demand for the Q4 e-tron.

Uncertain future for the Audi plant in Brussels

The excessively high production costs at the Brussels plant also make the company wonder whether it would not be a better idea to build the second generation of the Q8 e-tron in a plant outside Europe, such as the one in Mexico. Audi already produces the Q5 SUV at its Mexican plant in San José Chiapa, a model that conveniently uses the same MLB platform as the current generation of the Q8 e-tron. The expected move to the PPE platform for the second generation of the Q8 e-tron would, however, require adapting the plant, which could pose a problem.

The Volkswagen Group does, however, have another production plant in Puebla, just 60 km from Audi’s plant, and this could be the solution. The Q8 e-tron could be produced in Puebla for the European and North American markets, while the Changchun plant in China would be responsible for supplying its own market.

In short, although nothing has been decided yet, if Audi ultimately opts to stop producing the Q8 e-tron in Brussels, the future of this plant is in doubt. Zwickau is capable of meeting demand for the Q4 e-tron on its own, and Audi does not plan to launch any other electric model in the coming years that could be built at the Belgian plant.