Defunct Audi Q8 E-Tron Could Be Revived in a US Factory

The Drive

4 days ago

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With the recent tempering of EV enthusiasm and the specter of broader market instability lurking in the background, it should come as no surprise that Audi has been reluctant to commit to a strategy for replacing its flagship Q8 E-Tron SUV. The 2024 model was built in a Brussels facility that Audi no longer operates—a decision that left the EV's fate in up in the air—but Belgium's loss could be America's gain. Last month, Automotive News reported that Audi could move production of three models to the United States to offset tariffs. Sure enough, the Q8 E-Tron is among them.
Curious, we reached out to Audi, not only to gauge the likelihood of such a move (with a considerable price tag and no immediate ROI), but also just to confirm that the Q8 E-Tron has a pulse at all. We expected the usual 'no comment.' Instead, Audi openly acknowledged the Q8 E-Tron's fate is still a matter of discussion.
'All future production options are being evaluated but nothing can be confirmed at this time,' a company spokesperson told The Drive via email.
AN's report suggested that Q8 E-Tron production could move to sister company Scout's new Blythewood, South Carolina facility (which is still under construction), but that's not the only option, especially if the Q8 E-Tron is going to be built on the same platform (dubbed PPE) that will also underpin the Q6 E-Tron (another model AN said would potentially be built here).
Like Q8, Q6 would need a home. Moving both to Blythewood would save Audi on redundant tooling since both could be built on the same assembly line, but since the Audis won't share any platform architecture with the body-on-frame, solid-axle Scouts, all the South Carolina facility really has to offer is space.
There's another player in this game too: Porsche. It is believed that the Cayenne EV will also ride on the PPE chassis, opening up the door for cost-savings if they're built in the same facility.
The third potential U.S. transplant, the Q4 E-Tron, is built on a modified version of VW's existing MEB platform, which it shares with the Chattanooga-built ID.4, making Tennessee the likely beneficiary should Audi pull the trigger on these moves.
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