Audi Q8 e-tron Ending Production as Brussels Facility Prepares for Closure

News from Audi confirms that the automaker is set to close its factory in Brussels on February 28th 2025, which will bring an end to the production of their current flagship EV, the Q8 e-tron. The plant closure will also leave approximately 3,000 employees out of work, but plant leadership has worked with Audi to align on a “social plan” to assist in the forthcoming workforce transition.

Audi Brussels can extend its previous offer for employees in the framework of the social plan. In addition to the voluntary company bonus already announced, the social plan includes many further measures of support that are open to all employees. These include special age-related measures for those over sixty, coaching services, and so-called outplacement services for employees.

Audi will pay the voluntary company bonus in addition to the legally required redundancy pay. The amount of this Audi bonus depends on the individual length of employment. In total, Audi will pay more than double the legal requirement as redundancy pay for the employees.

“I am very pleased that, despite difficult negotiations, we were able to reach a fair settlement for the employees in cooperation with the social partners. This result demanded a lot from all negotiating parties until the end. But in the end, everyone focused on the essentials and put the employees at the center of their actions,” says Thomas Bogus, CEO of Audi Brussels.

Gerd Walker, board member for Production at AUDI AG, says: “We have a social responsibility for all employees. That is why it was important to us and to me personally that we reach a joint solution with the social partners in Brussels. We have achieved this with the social plan that has now been agreed.”

As for the Q8 e-tron, Audi has yet to officially confirm what will replace it within their EV lineup. Production of the gasoline powered Audi Q8 crossover will continue at Volkswagen Auto Group’s plant in Slovakia and remain part of Audi’s lineup in global markets.