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Audi Starts Production Of New Q8 e-tron Electric SUV In Brussels
Audi kick starts the production of new Audi Q8 e-tron all-electric sports utility vehicle (SUV)/Sportsback in Brussels.
Brand’s new EV will arrive in the market in 2023 as e-tron Q8 SUV and e-tron Q8 Sportback for 2024 model year.
Improved aerodynamics and battery capacity allows range of up to 582-km in the SUV and up to 600-km in the Sportback.
Audi has announced the start of production of the new Audi Q8 e-tron Electric SUV and Sportsback, with the first example driving off the production line at the Brussels plant on December 14.
The brand’s new all-electric vehicle will now arrive in the market in 2023 as an Q8 e-tron SUV and Q8 e-tron Sportback (SQ8) for 2024 model year, after being initially marketed as Audi e-tron.
Its improved aerodynamics and battery capacity now allows an increased range of up to 582 kilometers in the SUV and up to 600 kilometers in the Sportback.
Audi board member for Production and Logistics Gerd Walker underlines the importance of the brand’s new top model :
“With its increased efficiency and range, as well as its sharpened design, the new Audi Q8 e-tron is a strong statement for electromobility.”
The Belgium factory was named “Factory of the Future” in 2020 by the employers’ association Agoria. It has already churned out around 160,000 units of Audi’s first electric model since the production of the e-tron began in 2018.
The site also has photovoltaic systems that generates around 9,000-megawatt hours of power every year, which is enough to charge some 90,000 Audi Q8 e-tron units and reduce carbon emissions by 1,881 tons.
Walker also highlights the outstanding role of the Brussels site as a pioneer for sustainable production:
“Brussels has done valuable pioneering work. We are learning from our experience of having delivered around 160,000 vehicles worldwide. As the next step, we will leverage this experience to ramp up battery production in Ingolstadt.”
In 2021, Audi Brussels plant produced 43,866 all-electric vehicles. The brand said starting in the second half of 2023, more than 3,000 employees will make the Audi Q4 e-tron at the site.
