Sad Day for the European Automotive Industry. Today, the Audi Factory in Brussels (Audi Brussels – Forest) is closing its doors for good. The assembly lines dedicated to high-end electric cars, namely the Audi Q8 e-tron and SQ8 e-tron, will cease operations, leaving, as of today, 3,000 people unemployed. Indeed, no buyer has been found yet.
The Brussels factory (Audi Brussels), where the Audi Q8 e-tron and SQ8 e-tron are assembled, will close this Friday, February 28, 2025, as announced by the German automaker at the end of October 2024. A social plan was finally adopted on January 27. Thus, 3,000 Audi employees will find themselves out of work tonight. This situation illustrates the difficulties facing the entire European automotive sector related to electric cars. These vehicles are not selling enough due to high prices and consumer reluctance. Additionally, in Germany, the end of purchase incentives decided at the end of 2023 has exacerbated the situation. Moreover, Chinese competition is clearly hurting European car brands, especially because, in Europe, the production costs of electric vehicles are very high. In response to this situation, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, is negotiating with the main players in the European automotive industry. On March 5, Ursula von der Leyen will present an action plan. From Audi’s side, they are eagerly awaiting this plan.
In numbers, according to the ACEA, electric car sales fell by 5.9% in the EU in 2024. The largest European automotive market, Germany, saw its electric vehicle sales plunge by 27.4% (380,609 registrations). For information, in the French market, the drop in electric car sales was 2.6% in 2024 (290,614 registrations).
Finally, let’s get back to the closure of the Audi Brussels factory. As mentioned in the introduction, no buyer has been found yet. The Belgian government and Volkswagen Group will therefore have to reach an agreement quickly. According to local sources, the site in question could be transformed into a military vehicle production facility, but nothing is certain. Thus, 3,000 Audi employees will lose their jobs today.
The Editorial Team
Photos: Audi
