Fresh from breaking ground on a new factory in Mexico, Audi AG CEO Rupert Stadler is pushing an aggressive global expansion program, with plans that could include plants in Brazil and the United States.Stadler expects the 150,000 Q5 SUVs that the Mexican plant will produce starting in 2016 will be easily absorbed by strong demand in the United States and Europe. There is a seven-month waiting list for the Q5.
Growing demand for other Audi models will have to be met either with expansion of the Mexico plant or new facilities in North and South America.
Like its sister brand Volkswagen, which has a new factory in Chattanooga, Tenn., Audi could choose to build its own plant in the United States.
"That is absolutely open in the future," said Stadler. "It always depends what car you are discussing, where is the main market, is the framework the right one?"
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