Audi considers ending Q8 e‑tron as electric vehicle orders slump
According to an official press release, Audi is considering ending the production of the electric Q8 e-tron model and contemplating the future of the Brussels factory. Mercedes is also cautious about the development of e-mobility. BMW? The situation is entirely different there.
If these were just rumours, they could be taken as a curiosity. However, an official Audi press release mentioning a "global decline in orders for luxury electric vehicles" is significant. Officially, the drop in orders is because of the introduction of new models on the PPE platform. So far, only one has been shown: the Q6 e-tron. It's worth noting the marketing balancing act.
The decline in popularity poses a problem for the factory in Brussels, located close to the centre, with high logistical costs. Audi is considering restructuring the assembly lines but does not rule out completely closing or selling the facility. Automotive News Europe reports that the Volkswagen Group had not closed a facility since 1988 when the Westmoreland plant in Pennsylvania was shut down.
Interesting information also comes from Mercedes, which will not increase battery production. "We are flexible. We will think about the next steps when the situation is clear," said Markus Schäfer, head of technology development. Meanwhile, Mercedes' managing director, Ola Källenius, admitted in February that the company will do everything to ensure the competitiveness of its internal combustion engines, which were supposed to become obsolete.
On the other hand, BMW's situation looks promising—since the beginning of the year, they have delivered 108,000 electric vehicles, a 22% increase. Mercedes, in turn, delivered only 45,000 electric vehicles, a 25% decrease. BMW owes this to a broad model offensive—for example, the iX1 model. Perhaps success has been influenced by electric vehicles being almost indistinguishable from their combustion engine counterparts on the outside.
