With parent Volkswagen actively searching for a site to build its first assembly plant Stateside, it now seems luxury brand Audi may piggyback on the effort and produce some of its own cars here, or even build a plant all its own. Audi and other European makers are having a tough time in the U.S. markets thanks largely to the strong euro versus the value of the dollar.
“There are no signs right now of this situation letting up,” said Chief Executive Rupert Stadler in a Reuters report, to be said at Audi ’s annual general meeting on Wednesday. While a U.S. plant for Audi is far from confirmed, the latest comments from the executive are the strongest hints as to the possibility thus far.
Other challenges to do with costs include increased prices of raw materials such as raw steel, precious metals and aluminum. Back in March at the Geneva show, Audi said it wouldn’t bring the new Scirocco hot hatch Stateside on account of the weak dollar-to-euro conversion.
At the same meeting, Stadler will announce the manufacturer would strive to meet its goal of reducing its fleet’s fuel consumption by a minimum of 20 percent by 2012. This year, the automaker could realize 18 percent fuel economy improvements, including cutting CO2 emissions by about 6 percent.
