Audi reportedly considers EV production in the US

While Porsche clearly stated that it will not set up production in the US despite tariffs, Audi, which sells significantly more cars there, appears to be pushing ahead with its own internal plans within the VW Group – albeit partially through the back door.

In light of higher tariffs, Audi’s plans for local US manufacturing are beginning to take shape. According to the German publication Automobilwoche, the electric SUV Q4 e-tron or future successor models could be built at VW’s plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, “as the MEB platform has already been installed there.” Volkswagen has been producing the ID.4 for the US market in Chattanooga since July 2022. The plant operates with a partially localised supply chain, which Audi could join in on.

The plans for a second electric Audi produced in North America concern a model already set to be built in the region: the large SUV Q8 e-tron is currently supposed to roll off the production line in Mexico. However, as imports from Mexico are also affected by Donald Trump’s auto tariffs, Audi is considering relocating production.

The Q8 e-tron could be moved to VW’s Scout plant in Blythewood, South Carolina. That site is still under construction, with the foundation stone laid in February 2024. Production of the two announced Scout models based on a dedicated platform is set to begin there in 2027. The Automobilwoche does not specify when an electric Audi could start rolling off the lines at this location.

According to the article, if the information proves accurate, Audi appears to be focusing its considerations for US production on its electric SUV series, which is in greater demand in the region. For the PPE-based Q6 e-tron, Automobilwoche writes that the scenario foresees “identifying a third location in the US.”

Beyond the statement that site scouting is already underway, there are no further details available regarding the Q6 e-tron plans. As the VW Group currently has no production sites other than Chattanooga and the Scout facility under construction, only two options remain: either Audi will construct a new factory, or it will opt for contract manufacturing at a partner’s plant.

Although the article contains no official statement from Audi about the alleged plans, recent remarks suggest the rumours may not be entirely unfounded. On the sidelines of Auto Shanghai at the end of April, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner mentioned “various options for the US,” ranging from existing VW plants to “additional capacities.” In other words, precisely the kind of topics now being speculated upon.

Audi currently has no manufacturing facility in the United States and supplies the local market exclusively with imported vehicles. The Q4 e-tron is built in Zwickau, while the Q6 e-tron comes from Ingolstadt – both located in Germany. Production of the previous Q8 e-tron ended in Brussels in late February with the closure of that plant. Its successor – possibly a three-row SUV to distinguish it from the Q6 e-tron – will, according to current and confirmed plans, be built in Mexico.

automobilwoche.de (in German)