Volkswagen to close EV factory in Brussels

Days after Volkswagen announced it would close three factories in Germany – a first for the company – the carmaker will now officially close its Audi plant in Brussels where it makes the Audi Q8 E-Tron in a few months.

The company announced that it will close the factory on February 28, 2025.

Back in September, Volkswagen and Audi said they wanted to stop production of the Q8 E-Tron and sell the firm. Meanwhile, VW has been looking for investors or other ways to solve the problems, the company says that none of the 26 interested parties have offered any solutions for the future of the plant, as reported Cars News Europe.

Management is still looking for a potential buyer for the facility, and no layoffs are expected until early 2025. But even so, 3,000 people currently employed there are likely to lose their jobs, prompting a backlash from unions who argue the company is too resistant to consider other offers.

Last month, large rallies blocked the Belgian capital over the possible closure of the facility, with unions warning of further strikes and protests. Now, the industry is a symbol of what protesters say is the real problem: It's not that people don't want to accept electric cars, it's that European automakers are focusing too much on big, expensive SUVs. The Audi Q8 E-Tron, an electric SUV, sells for around €80,000.

Just two days ago, Volkswagen – which currently has 10 plants and 300,000 employees in Germany – announced its plan to close three German factories, the first time in the company's 87-year history that it has closed factories on its territory. The plan involves cutting tens of thousands of jobs and reducing wages for the remaining 10% of workers.

It's sad news for Volkswagen, but it's not too surprising since the automaker is facing a big drop in sales in China, which is its main market, while at the same time it's facing challenges from BYD and other Chinese automakers entering the European market.