Audi to Add 500 Jobs for Production of New Q6 e-tron.

Audi’s production of electric vehicles (EVs) and the associated job situation.

Here are the key points:

• Job Creation: Audi is advertising 500 new jobs at its main plant in Ingolstadt to produce the new Audi Q6 e-tron. This indicates that the company sees electromobility as a job engine and expects high employment volumes and more job security at its German sites.
• Training Programs: Audi has been conducting various training programs for its employees to equip them with the necessary skills for working in electromobility. Around 8,300 employees in Ingolstadt and 2,000 employees in Győr, Hungary, have undergone training to launch and produce the Q6 e-tron.
• Battery Assembly: The Ingolstadt plant will become the first German Audi site to have its battery assembly. This decision was made in 2018 in agreement with the works council. The plant will assemble battery packs using supplied battery cells.

Job cuts

• Job Cuts: It’s worth noting that despite the new job creation, Audi had previously announced an austerity program that includes job cuts. By 2025, approximately 9,500 jobs will be lost at the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm sites. The recent announcement does not address these job cuts.
• Production Delays: The announcement does not mention the specific start of production for the Q6 e-tron in Ingolstadt. Development delays at Volkswagen’s software subsidiary Cariad have pushed back the anticipated launch from 2023 to 2024.
• Electrification Strategy: Audi has set ambitious targets for electrification. From 2026 onwards, the company plans to introduce only new models powered purely by electricity. By 2029, Audi’s production sites worldwide are expected to manufacture at least one fully electric vehicle. The Ingolstadt plant aims to produce only electric cars from 2028.

Management  Changes

• Management Changes: Markus Duesmann, the current CEO, is set to be replaced by Gernot Döllner on September 1, 2023.
• Mexican Plant Expansion: There are rumours of Audi announcing expansion plans for electric car production at its Mexican plant in Puebla on July 18. However, Audi has denied any planned announcements or confirmed business trips.

Conclusion

Audi is actively working on producing electric vehicles and battery assembly, creating new jobs while also undergoing job cuts. The company is investing in employee training for the transition to electromobility, but there have been delays in the launch of the Q6 e-tron due to software development issues.

Audi has set ambitious goals for electrification and intends to focus on electric vehicle production in the future.

Audi-mediacenter.com (announcement), spiegel.de (personnel cuts), reuters.com (Mexico)