Audi over the weekend said it is plans to establish its first U.S. plant site in Georgia. Construction of the plant, designed to assemble an annual capacity of up to 200,000 vehicles, is scheduled to begin in 2027. Production is planned to start in the early 2030s, of Audi SUVs. [This is clearly and expensive bet – ~$4 billion – to protect Volkswagen AG (VOW.F) and its luxury brand Audi with its ~300 U.S. dealers from Trump mis-administration trade and tariff wars, which raised tariffs to 25% on fully finished German imports. – AutoCrat]*
“We have much greater ambitions for Audi in America. The United States is one of the world’s most important premium markets, and we have not yet realized our full potential. We are determined to change that — with premium products, a stronger brand and a competitive local production base. This is about building a stronger Audi business in America — not simply about building a factory,” said Gernot Döllner, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG.
*AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
