Top technology: the first fully electric Audi SUV is manufactured in Belgium
Audi has come up with a new model, the E-tron. This car model, which was presented in San Francisco last week on Monday night, is the first fully electric SUV the car manufacturer has produced so far.
This is surely a major step for Audi, which aims to integrate the electric market, one of the future options for mobility. The E-tron will enter the Belgian market as of November, and the enthusiastic purchaser should pay EUR 82,400 to have the chance to get it (it’s already possible to order one).
Although the price of clean mobility can raise concerns about affordability and access to everyone, it’s still worth underlining the importance of this technological achievement in Belgium when it comes to this new model.
The E-tron has been designed and manufactured in the Forest plant. While Audi has had a factory in Forest for years, massive works have been undertaken since 2016 to make the plant ready to produce this new car. The four-ring manufacturer has invested more than EUR 660 million over the last years for this purpose.
First of all, a new building has been set up, in order to produce the batteries. This building has been designed with high safety-standards to avoid any accident or fire. The whole factory has also been subject to works, as the design of the E-tron is very different from the A1, which used to be made in the Forest factory.
In case a car producer aims to build eco-friendly cars, it’s worth producing them in a smart and eco-friendly way. Audi has then set up solar panels as well as it made the plant as clean as it could.
When it comes to employment and labour force, investments have also been needed. The staff was trained to manage electric technologies for thousands of hours and more than 300 new workers have been hired.
It is now time to turn a major page. The last A1 model was produced in the Forest factory in August. The new ones will now be manufactured in Spain (Martorell). The Forest workers can therefore focus on the E-Tron, by using electric technology. One that will be sustainable over the upcoming years.
