Volkswagen announced the closure of its Audi plant in Brussels, Belgium, days after announcing plans to close three factories in Germany. At a factory in Brussels that makes an electric crossover Audi Q8 E-Tronscheduled to cease operations on February 28, 2025.
The closure will result in the loss of approximately 3,000 jobs, prompting strong opposition from the union and raising questions about the future of electric vehicle manufacturing in Europe. While Volkswagen says it has explored all possible options, the unions say the company has been too quick to rule out solutions.
The Brussels center has become a symbol of the wider debate about the transition to electric vehicles. Critics argue that European automakers, including Volkswagen, are focusing too much on producing large, expensive electric crossovers such as the Audi Q8 E-Tron, which has a starting price of around €80,000. range of consumers and prevent mass adoption of electric vehicles.
Volkswagen’s decision to close the plant in Brussels comes amid a difficult time for the car manufacturer. The company has faced a sharp decline in sales in China, its largest market, as well as increasing competition from fast-moving Chinese electric car makers and major into the European market.
In September, Audi, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, announced its intention to stop production of the Q8 E-Tron and sell the plant in Brussels. Despite interest from 26 parties, Volkswagen says none of the proposals provided a viable solution for the future of the plant.
Source: range
2024-10-31 15:42:00
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