A pioneer in electric mobility and sustainability: Audi Brussels produces its eight millionth car
Apart from electromobility, Brussels is also a trailblazer in the field of sustainability: in 2018, the multiple award-winning location was the first Audi factory and the first mass production site in the premium segment worldwide to establish carbon-neutral production. The factory uses green electricity and is supplied by a large photovoltaic system (107,000 square meters [1,151,738 sq. ft.]). The heat required for production also comes from renewable energy via coverage through biogas certificates.
Emissions that are currently technically unavoidable are compensated through certified carbon-credit projects. Peter Kössler, Board Member for Production and Logistics at Audi: “For us at Audi, economic success is inseparable from environmental protection. Premium mobility doesn’t only mean that our products meet the highest standards – it also means that they are consistently made in a sustainable way. As part of our Mission:Zero program, Audi Brussels was the first Audi factory worldwide to manufacture cars under net carbon-neutral conditions, making it a pioneer and instigator for our other sites.” Within the framework of the Mission:Zero program, Audi is also consistently working in the fields of water use, resource efficiency, and biodiversity to reduce its ecological footprint in production and logistics, alongside decarbonization.
The first car off the assembly line was a Studebaker
Today’s Audi factory has had an eventful history. The first Studebaker Champion sedan rolled off the assembly line on April 7, 1949. In 1965, the last Studebaker, number 21,675, left the factory. In the interim, Volkswagen AG became the main employer in the factory and had the VW Beetle and the VW Transporter built in Forest. Around 1,000 Porsche 356 Cabriolets were also built in the Brussels suburb in the early 1960s. In 1970, Volkswagen took over the factory completely. In the early 1980s, the VW Golf completed the program: almost four million units of this successful model were built in Brussels.
The eight millionth car comes off the assembly line at Audi Brussels. Markus Duesmann, CEO of AUDI AG appeared enthusiastic on his visit to Brussels, a site that was designated a “Factory of the Future” only in the last year. Since fall of 2018, Audi Brussels has produced the first fully electric SUV for the brand with the four rings, namely the Audi e-tron, and in early 2020, it began mass production of the Audi e-tron Sportback.
Audi Brussels is celebrating a special milestone: eight million cars have been built in the Belgian factory since it was founded in 1949. The car that crossed that threshold is an Audi e-tron in metallic Glacier White. The jubilee car will become part of the extensive historical car collection in the Audi tradition. At first, however, this historically significant Audi e-tron will remain for a while at its production site in Brussels, where it is an attention-grabber for visitors.
Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Mobility, Georges Gilkinet, as well as Audi’s executive board were on site for the celebration and visited the factory.