Audi has announced the closure of its Brussels plant on February 28, 2025, following unsuccessful attempts to sell the factory. The site, which currently produces the Q8 E-tron electric SUV, faces shutdown as production shifts to other facilities, with the model’s successor reportedly moving to Mexico.
Audi’s head of production, Gerd Walker, described the decision as “painful,” adding, “Personally, it was the toughest decision I have ever had to make in my professional career.” Efforts to find a buyer, including discussions with several automakers, were unsuccessful. Belgian media suggested that Nio was a potential suitor, but the Chinese EV maker’s CEO, William Li, denied involvement. Audi confirmed in November that negotiations had broken down, cementing the plant’s closure.
The Q8 E-tron, previously known as the E-tron, was Audi’s first mass-market electric vehicle when it launched in 2018. Despite a significant update in 2022 that introduced a larger battery and refreshed styling, the model has seen a decline in demand. Audi stated in July that “a global decline in customer orders in the electric luxury-class segment” had impacted the Q8 E-tron’s viability.
While the Q8 E-tron was originally planned to remain in production until mid-decade, the drop in sales—just 53,555 units produced in 2023—has accelerated its phase-out. In contrast, the smaller Q4 E-tron, built in Zwickau, Germany, has seen significantly higher production volumes.
Audi attributed the diminishing popularity of the Q8 E-tron to “segment-specific” factors, emphasizing that other electric models, such as the upcoming Q6 E-tron, remain unaffected. The Q6 E-tron, built on Audi’s new EV-specific Premium Platform Electric (PPE), marks a shift away from the adapted MLB architecture used for the Q8 E-tron.
Structural challenges also played a role in the plant’s closure. Located near Brussels’ city center, the facility faced higher logistical costs and limited restructuring options compared to Audi’s other factories. The similarly sized, combustion-powered Audi Q8, produced in Bratislava, Slovakia, is not impacted by these changes.
