Audi begins production of Q4 e-tron

The production of Audi Q4 e-tron has finally begun in Zwickau, Saxony – birthplace of this German automaker. The fully electric compact model is the first electric SUV to be produced by Audi in Germany. 

The Q4 e-tron features a Volkswagen-made modular electric drive matrix (MEB), a highly versatile and variable platform that is suitable for numerous fully electric models and offers considerable scope for leveraging synergies.

At the multi-brand plant in Zwickau, the Audi Q4 e-tron will be rolling off the same production line as the Volkswagen ID 4. Here, 1,400 assembly line employees of Volkswagen Saxony are also producing the compact electric SUV. 

Working alongside their colleagues from Volkswagen, more than one hundred Audi employees prepared for the start of production – from production planning and technical development through to quality assurance. 

The press tools for producing the body parts all come from Audi's very own tool making shop. With its expressive design, the Audi Q4 e-tron poses enormous challenges when it comes to precision and surface perfection. 

The Audi Q4 e-tron will be unveiled to a global audience in the middle of April and launched on the European markets in the summer of 2021. As a result, the Audi brand's electric offensive continues to pick up steam. 

By 2025, Audi plans to launch more than 20 fully electric models and expand its PHEV offering. The two main Audi plants in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm are also set to manufacture fully electric vehicles.

At the beginning of 2022, the first electric model based on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) – developed jointly with Porsche – will roll off the Ingolstadt assembly line.

The Audi Q4 e-tron is being launched in the highly attractive and growing market segment of compact SUVs. For Audi customers, it offers an entry into the world of electric premium mobility at an attractive price. 

Not only does the compact model offer almost as much space in its interior as a full-size SUV, but the display concept featuring an optional augmented-reality head-up display is also pioneering in its class.

Production of the Q4 e-tron will be carbon-neutral right from the start. The Zwickau plant covers its entire energy needs using renewables and has a highly efficient combined heat-and-power plant.

Audi is also working to further minimise CO2 emissions in the value chain. When the Audi Q4 e-tron reaches the end of its life cycle, its battery is to be used in second-life concepts or recycled as a source of raw materials.