Audi resumes production of the Q8 e-tron in Brussels until the end of the month

Production of the Audi Q8 e-tron in Europe will come to an end on 28 February, the date on which the Brussels plant, where it has been manufactured until now, will close its doors for good. However, until that day arrives, some more units of this Premium electric SUV from the German manufacturer will continue to roll off the assembly line.

Although production at the Brussels plant has been halted for weeks, a spokesperson for Audi has confirmed that today, Thursday 6 February, activity will resume and continue until the last day of the month.

The closure of Audi’s Belgian plant has been announced for months, with the company’s repeated, unsuccessful attempts throughout that time to find some kind of alternative. Since November, the assembly lines have been at a standstill, first because of strikes by dissatisfied staff and later due to a shortage of components. The plant’s workers are not the only ones who have voiced their discontent with the situation, as they have been joined by the suppliers, who are unhappy about the end of production at Audi’s Belgian plant and the resulting cancellation of component orders.

The final weeks of life at the Brussels plant

With the situation so complicated and less than a month before the plant’s definitive closure, everything seemed to indicate that the Q8 e-tron would never again be produced in Brussels. However, Audi has surprised everyone by denying that this will be the case.

“Having recently launched a joint social plan for Audi Brussels employees, we are focusing on resuming production, scheduled for 6 February.”

It is not clear, however, how many vehicles will be able to leave the plant in the next three weeks of activity, and Audi has not commented on this. In any case, the German manufacturer has explained that, due to the restructuring to be carried out at the plant and the situation of recent weeks, it has not been possible to produce as many vehicles as expected and, as a result, Audi has been forced to cancel some orders that had already been placed. The company says that, in these cases, affected customers will be offered the option of choosing another model from the brand’s range on advantageous terms.

On forums related to the motoring and electric mobility world, some of these customers who had already placed an order for the Q8 e-tron claim that Audi has cancelled it, offering them the chance to buy a Q6 e-tron with an exclusive discount. In 2024, Audi decided to move production of the Q8 e-tron’s successor to Mexico and stop operating in Brussels. That is why Audi will not be able to meet the entire demand for the Q8 e-tron at this time.