The first electric vehicle (EV) that Audi introduced is set to be discontinued as its factory closes.
The plant in Brussels, Belgium that builds the Audi Q8 e-tron will cease production by February 28, 2025.
“The decision to close the Brussels factory is painful. Personally, it was the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make in my professional career”, said Gerd Walker, a board member of Audi AG and head of production, in remarks reported by Reuters.
Audi has previously said the Brussels plant has various “long-standing structural challenges”, with a layout that’s difficult to change given its close proximity to the city centre, as well as high logistics costs.
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The plant was first opened in 1949, and initially assembled American Studebakers for the European market. Volkswagens were subsequently produced there for decades, with Audi taking over in 2007.
Slow sales for the Q8 e-tron doomed the factory.
Audi confirmed in July that “a global decline in customer orders in the electric luxury class segment” affected its Q8 e-tron.
“Following an intensive review of the market situation and the general conditions at the Brussels site, Audi is considering the early end of production of the Q8 e-tron model series,” a spokesperson said at the time.
While there had been a report earlier this year that production could move to Mexico, there’s been no further word of this.
Audi confirmed earlier this year it was seeking a buyer for the Belgian plant but as it hasn’t been successful in this, with over 3000 employees out of work according to Motor1.
The publication also notes the plant has a maximum capacity of 120,000 vehicles annually, but last year Audi sold just 49,001 examples of the Q8 e-tron which is now the only vehicle built there.
Audi Australia managing director Jeff Mannering told CarExpert in November that the new Q6 e-tron could fill any void left by the demise of the Q8 e-tron.
Audi Q8 e-tron and SQ8 e-tron range
“Whether we continue to offer that model is something we’re still discussing,” Mr Mannering said of the Q8 e-tron’s post-February future.
“Looking at that segment, the volume is probably in a different price segment to where our Q8 e-tron is. That model still has another two years to run, so it depends on the next-generation Q8 and where it gets built.
“If it’s there, and it’s selling, we’ll keep it. But if Q6 proves to be a resounding success – which I’m sure it will be – it’s the same offset anyway.”
Production of the model commenced in 2018 under the e-tron nameplate. It arrived here in 2019, while a facelifted version – rebadged as the Q8 e-tron – launched in 2023.
Rebranding it as a Q8 now means its sales are lumped in with the petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid Q8 range in monthly VFACTS reports.
Audi e-tron
However, the most recent quarterly report lists 152 sales to the end of September this year, putting it below the BMW iX (393 sales), Lexus RZ (174) and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV (689).
Prior to the mid-life update, sales of the large electric SUV were reported separately in Australia each month – and they weren’t anything grand, either.
Audi sold 129 e-tron examples in 2022 and 200 in 2023. In contrast, BMW sold 477 iX SUVs in 2022 and 822 in 2023.
The new Q6 e-tron is smaller, but rides the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) co-developed by Audi and Porsche.
While the Q8 e-tron’s WLTP range figures are between 411km and 454km depending on the variant, the Q6 e-tron has between 528km and 641km of range in its standard body style.
