Audi will start manufacturing of the Q6 e-tron in Germany subsequent yr, and by 2029 all of its vegetation will probably be producing not less than one electrical automobile every.
The Q6 e-tron will enter manufacturing on the firm’s Ingolstadt plant, initially alongside the A4 and A5 earlier than the plant ultimately transitions to being EV-only.
The plant, situated by Audi’s international headquarters, will function a blueprint for the corporate’s transformation of its international factories.
From 2026, Audi will solely launch electrical autos onto the worldwide market, and part out its combustion-powered autos by 2033 – although it’s left the door open for ICE autos to proceed in China.
Audi presently has solely two of its personal EV vegetation, situated at Böllinger Höfe in Germany and Brussels in Belgium.
It sources its This fall e-tron from a Volkswagen plant in Zwickau, Germany, and this mannequin together with the Q2L e-tron and Q5 e-tron are additionally produced for the Chinese language market in FAW-Volkswagen and SAIC-Volkswagen joint-venture vegetation.
The transfer to begin EV manufacturing on the firm’s present vegetation may also see EVs shipped out of Hungary and Mexico.
The corporate says it’ll solely construct new vegetation the place extra capability is required. It’s presently constructing with its joint-venture accomplice FAW a plant in Changchun, China, that may solely manufacture Audi EVs.
The plant is about to be accomplished by the top of 2024 and can construct autos on the Premium Platform Electrical.
“Step-by-step, we’re bringing all our websites into the longer term,” says Gerd Walker, member of the Audi board for manufacturing and logistics.
“We don’t need any standalone lighthouse initiatives on greenfield websites. As an alternative, we’re investing in our present vegetation in order that they find yourself being simply as environment friendly and versatile as newly constructed manufacturing websites or greenfield vegetation.
“The trail Audi is taking conserves assets and accelerates our transformation to a supplier of sustainable premium mobility.”
The corporate is investing €500 million (A$794 million) in coaching all its workers in EV manufacturing by 2025, and in addition plans for all its international manufacturing websites to be carbon impartial by that yr.
However Audi can be trying to scale back prices, with a aim of reducing manufacturing unit prices in half by 2033 as a part of its 360factory technique.
To attain this, it needs to cut back the complexity of autos the place there’s no perceived profit to clients.
It’s additionally aiming to digitalise manufacturing the place attainable, changing industrial PCs with Edge Cloud 4 Manufacturing know-how utilizing native servers; and use digital meeting planning to simplify work with excessive product variability.
The 360factory plan may also see Audi make working hours extra versatile and break rooms extra snug.
Audi says it has set extra formidable sustainability targets, with the goal of reducing its “absolute environmental affect” within the areas of major vitality consumption, energy plant emissions, air pollution, wastewater and waste volumes and native water threat in half by 2030 in comparison with 2018 figures.
The corporate says it needs to halve the present degree of ecologically weighted water consumption by 2035, boasting its Mexican plant was already the primary premium model’s plant to go wastewater-free all the way in which again in 2018.
Audi’s electrical automobile vary will achieve a vital member with the forthcoming introduction of the Q6 e-tron.
Slotting in between the MEB-based This fall e-tron and the MLB Evo-based Q8 e-tron, will probably be Audi’s first mannequin on the brand new Premium Platform Electrical (PPE) co-developed with Porsche and set for use by the forthcoming Macan EV.
Like most Audi SUVs, the Q6 e-tron will probably be obtainable in both wagon or sleeker Sportback physique types.
The electrical Macan will reportedly function electrical all-wheel drive making as much as 450kW of energy and 1000Nm of torque, and our photographers have spied what seems to be an RS Q6 e-tron that might function related outputs.
PPE may also help rear-wheel drive powertrains with much less grunt. It’s not clear how a lot will probably be shared between the Macan and the Q6 e-tron, given they’re prone to be pitched at barely completely different clients.
Jalopnik stories the automotive will use a lithium-ion battery pack with round 100kWh of capability. An 800V structure permits for charging at as much as 270kW, good for a 25-minute cost from 5 to 80 per cent.
