If you read the headlines these days, you might think electric car sales have gone over a cliff, as customers pile into conventional hybrids similar to the Toyota Prius that has been around now in one form or another for almost 30 years. Especially in the United States, where everything from how to cook hamburgers to the sex life of singers has become a cultural battleground, the mainstream press is awash with headlines declaring the EV revolution over and done with. The truth, however, is rather more nuanced.
Audi says its electric car sales for the Q8 have cratered while BMW is crowing about its recent electric car sales success. Such divergence is perplexing, since both companies cater to basically the same clientele — wealthy drivers who expect to be pampered in every respect. In a press release dated July 9, 2024, Audi said it is witnessing a global decline in customer orders in the electric luxury class segment.
The decline affects the Q8 e-tron and Q8 Sportback e-tron electric car models produced in Brussels. The company is therefore considering the early end of production at that factory and the Board of Management of Audi Brussels has informed the Company Council of its intention to carry out a restructuring of that factory. The Q8 e-tron marked the start of electric mobility for Audi in 2018, the company says, and it ran very successfully worldwide for many years.
With the ramp-up of the new models based on the forthcoming Premium Platform Electric, the company is.