Audi is reshaping its German production network this spring, ending Audi Q2 output at Ingolstadt in April and confirming a fall 2026 start for the fully electric A2 e-tron at the same plant. The company also detailed a new cross-border arrangement with Audi Hungaria in Győr to build the Audi Q3 jointly from mid-2026, alongside an updated electrification roadmap at Neckarsulm.
Highlights
- Audi Q2 production ends in April 2026 at Ingolstadt after 887,231 lifetime units since 2016.
- A2 e-tron start confirmed for fall 2026 at Ingolstadt, becoming the third fully electric line at the main plant.
- Integrated Q3 production with Győr begins mid-2026, with bodies built in Hungary and paint and assembly in Ingolstadt.
- Neckarsulm electric sports model previewed by the Concept C enters production at Böllinger Höfe in 2027.
Q2 Exit Clears Space for Electric Compact
The Audi Q2 leaves the Ingolstadt lineup in April after a decade in production. The compact SUV joined the plant in 2016 and reached 887,231 deliveries over its run. A parallel move in Spain ends Audi A1 output at Martorell, a nameplate that launched in 2010 and recorded 1,389,658 deliveries. Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy were the strongest markets for both models.
The Q2 exit opens capacity for the A2 e-tron, which Audi has now confirmed for a fall 2026 start at Ingolstadt. The compact electric nameplate will join the Audi Q6 e-tron and Audi A6 e-tron on the main plant’s EV manifest, following their 2023 and 2024 launches. Ingolstadt will continue to build the combustion-powered Audi A3 and Audi Q3 during the transition.
Plant manager Siegfried Schmidtner framed the A2 e-tron as the next step in the site’s electrification. “For Ingolstadt, the Audi A2 e-tron marks the next milestone on the path to electrification. I am proud that this car is being produced at our home plant,” he said.
Cross-Border Q3 Build Absorbs Demand
The Q3 arrangement with Győr starts mid-2026 and is structured to smooth capacity across both plants. Vehicle bodies will be manufactured in Hungary and shipped by rail to Ingolstadt, where painting and final assembly take place. Audi said logistics teams at the two sites set up the rail supply chain in under a year.
The integrated Q3 program is a core element of the “agreement for the future” signed in March 2025. Schmidtner tied the move directly to demand management.
“The teams at the Ingolstadt plant have passionately driven the success of the Audi Q2. Working closely with Győr, we are turning a new page and will begin the integrated production of the Audi Q3 in mid-2026,” he said.
The cross-plant flow gives Audi a way to meet continued SUV demand without expanding single-site capacity, while keeping Ingolstadt’s paint shop and assembly lines loaded through the ICE-to-EV transition.
Neckarsulm Ramp-Up and 2027 Electric Sports Model
At Audi’s second German plant in Neckarsulm, the refreshed Audi A5 and A6 families are close to completing what Audi calls the largest ramp-up in the site’s history. The Audi RS 5 kicked off the performance trim rollout earlier this year, with additional engine variants to follow.
Böllinger Höfe, Neckarsulm’s low-volume facility, is preparing for the fully electric sports model previewed by the Audi Concept C roadster. Production is scheduled to begin in 2027. The Concept C, unveiled in 2025, established the design direction for Audi’s next generation of electric performance cars.
Audi is also positioning Neckarsulm as a digitalization and artificial intelligence hub, drawing on proximity to the Heilbronn Digital Ecosystem and its Innovation Park for Artificial Intelligence. The company said the network allows it to source external AI capability alongside in-house development.
Portfolio Implications
With combustion, hybrid, and electric models running in parallel across the German network, Audi is holding a mixed-powertrain production footprint through the transition rather than committing to a hard EV cutoff date. The Ingolstadt site will carry three fully electric lines once the A2 e-tron ramps, while keeping A3 and Q3 ICE output active. Neckarsulm adds an electric sports model in 2027 on top of its refreshed A5 and A6 ranges.
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