Volkswagen’s Audi fails to find buyer for Brussels site

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BERLIN (Reuters) – Volkswagen’s luxury division Audi has failed to find a buyer for its struggling plant in Brussels, a spokesperson said on Tuesday, making the closure of the plant likely.

A potential investor from the commercial vehicle sector has withdrawn its expression of interest, the spokesperson said.

“There is no potential investor for the site, so the active search for an investor is over,” said the spokesperson, adding that the focus now was on talks about a redundancy programme.

A working group on alternative uses for the plant had failed to find a viable solution for its immediate future and the short-term preservation of as many jobs as possible, the spokesperson added.

Volkswagen, which could close plants in Germany as part of a cost-cutting programme, said in July that it was considering closing down its Brussels site, which employs about 3,000 people, due to low demand for its higher-end electric cars.

The factory currently makes Audi’s electric luxury SUV Q8 e-tron, but production is due to cease at the end of February.