As President Donald Trump had hoped, carmakers are starting to shift gears on manufacturing.
But much of the industry reaction is centered on electric vehicles — technology Trump has repeatedly criticized, even as his trade policies help bring it stateside.
Volkswagen Group, the second largest automaker in the world in 2024, is preparing to join the growing list of automakers looking to rejig its US factories in response to the tariffs.
The German automaker's luxury brand, Audi — which assembles most of its lineup in its home country, Hungary, Mexico, Slovakia, Spain, and China — is planning to make some of its crossover and SUV models in America.
'We want to localize more strongly in the USA,' a company spokesperson told DailyMail.com.
'To this end, we are currently examining various scenarios. We are confident that we will make a decision on this in consultation with the Volkswagen Group before the end of this year as to what this will look like in concrete terms.'
On a recent earnings call, Audi CFO Jürgen Rittersberger added that Audi plans to launch 10 new models in the US, with production locations to be announced in 2026.
While no final decision has been made, sources speaking to German trade publication Automobilwoche say Audi is scouting three potential locations in the US.
