Audi to move Q7, Q8 and Q9 production to the US and invest €3.6 billion in new plant
Audi is to build its first car plant in the United States, producing the large luxury SUVs Q7, Q8 and Q9. The investment of approximately €3.6 billion will create 4,500 jobs and provide capacity for up to 200,000 cars a year. For the European automotive industry, however, the decision could mean lower production volumes in Slovakia, where Audi currently builds its larger SUVs.
Three luxury SUVs to be made in America
Audi will build the plant near Macon, Georgia. Construction will begin in 2027, with the first cars expected to roll off the production line in the early 2030s. The final investment decision still requires approval from the relevant Volkswagen Group governing bodies. According to Reuters, the plant will produce three SUVs: the Audi Q7, Q8 and Q9. Audi's official announcement confirms plans to produce large luxury SUVs but does not yet name specific models. The Q7 and Q8 are currently built at Volkswagen's Bratislava plant in Slovakia. The new Q9 is Audi's largest SUV, developed with the needs of North American customers as the manufacturer's priority.
The Georgia plant will produce both internal combustion engine and plug-in hybrid vehicles. This shows that Audi does not intend to rely solely on electric cars in the American market.
US tariffs force production rethink
The main economic driver behind the investment is the desire to reduce dependence on imports and the associated tariffs. US import tariffs cost Audi approximately €1.2 billion in 2025. Local production will help reduce that burden and give the manufacturer greater pricing flexibility.
At full capacity, the plant will be able to produce 200,000 cars a year. Audi plans to sell approximately half of its output in the US and export the rest. The company is also considering producing around 25,000 vehicles a year at Volkswagen Group's Scout Motors plant in South Carolina. Further details of that project remain unclear.
Slovakia could lose a significant share of production
From a European perspective, the most important question will be the future of the Bratislava plant.
Moving Q7 and Q8 production to America would free up significant production capacity in Slovakia. Volkswagen must decide which models will replace the existing production volumes.
German trade unions are also watching developments closely. Volkswagen Group is cutting costs and jobs in Europe while investing billions of euros in new production capacity in the US. For Audi, however, the decision is logical. Demand for large SUVs is strong in America, and local production will help it compete with BMW and Mercedes-Benz, both of which already have a substantial manufacturing base in the US.
The change will have no direct implications for European buyers initially. In the longer term, however, moving Q7 and Q8 production could affect these models' supply chains, manufacturing origins and pricing.
