Audi CEO joins Trump to announce firm's first US factory

Audi has announced plans to build its first US-based production site, with an investment of around $4 billion (£3 billion) in Georgia, in a move aimed at strengthening its position in the American car market and reducing its exposure to US import tariffs. The announcement was made during a Republican campaign rally in Georgia, on Saturday, ten days before the US midterm elections, when Trump invited Audi chairman Gernot Döllner onto the stage to outline the German car maker's plans. "We are planning to bring our biggest and most premium SUVs and produce them here in Macon, Georgia," Döllner told the crowd. "This is a long-term investment because we believe in the American market." His comments point to the new seven-seat Q9, Audi's largest SUV, being a key model for the planned new facility. Audi has not formally confirmed individual models for the Georgia plant, although the Q7 and Q8 have also been linked to the proposed production site. The new Audi factory is intended to have an annual capacity for up to 200,000 cars and create approximately 4500 jobs. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with production expected to start in the early 2030s. The investment comes at a difficult time for Audi in the US, where sales have fallen sharply amid growing pressure from import tariffs. In the first six months of 2026, Audi delivered 82,187 cars in North America, excluding Mexico, down 16.7 per cent from 98,712 in the corresponding period of 2025. The proposed Georgia factory represents a significant shift in Audi's manufacturing strategy. Unlike its German rivals, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which have operated American assembly plants for more than three decades, Audi has until now relied on imports to supply its US sales network. Trump's tariffs have increased the cost of that strategy, adding pressure on Audi to establish local production. The circumstances surrounding the announcement have attracted widespread criticism in Germany, where Döllner's appearance alongside Trump at a Republican election rally has raised questions about the political implications of Audi's investment. Döllner’s appearance alongside Trump also drew criticism from German political and labour representatives, who accused Audi of allowing its decision to be used for political purposes at a time when the Volkswagen Group is undertaking extensive restructuring in Germany and has indicated existing factories, including Audi’s Neckarsulm plant, may be closed as part of sweeping cost cutting measures. For Trump, the announcement provided an opportunity to present his tariff policy as a means of attracting foreign investment and manufacturing jobs to the US. For Audi the investment is part of a longer-term strategy to improve its competitiveness in a market where it has struggled to match the sales volumes and manufacturing presence of its German rivals BMW and Mercedes.

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Audi CEO joins Trump to announce firm's first US factory

Audi CEO announces plan to build SUVs Stateside – but faces heavy criticism from German workers

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