Audi to Boost Production

Encouraged by the good results achieved last year, German car maker Audi now says it plans to boost production in the new year, mostly by adding new models to the production queue. In all, Audi will begin rolling off 13 new models this year, including the new A6 in Neckarsulm and Audi Q3 in Martorell.

In 2010, Audi produced at all its sites 1,148,791 vehicles, a number which represents an increase of 23.4 percent compared to 2009. With sales numbers already reaching a record high, the production figure also represents the highest in the company's history.

“We are proud that we, along with our dedicated team and our effective Audi Production System (APS), have so successfully met the challenges of 2010,” said Frank Dreves, Audi member of the board for production.

“Our production figures are higher than ever before at our German sites in Ingolstadt und Neckarsulm. This sets a good foundation for us to tackle the upcoming challenges that are part of our growth strategy.”

This year, most of the Audi manufacturing plants will receive new models on their lines. The Audi Q3 is planned to enter production in Spain, at the Martorell plant which now has a production capacity of 100,000 units. But Audi's plans expand well beyond 2011.

A new A3 derivative will start rolling off the lines in Hungary, as soon as Audi completes the expansion of the facility there in 2013, while from 2015 onwards, a new manufacturing facility in now under consideration for the United States.

“The Audi growth strategy provides long-term security for our sites and for the jobs of the employees who work there,” added Peter Mosch, Audi chairman of the General Works Council.