Mitsubishi Motors North America says it will keep its factory in Normal, Ill., shut down for five extra weeks as it tries to reduce inventory levels in the sluggish auto market.
The Japanese automaker said Monday it will suspend production for 12 weeks, from Feb. 16 through May 8. Previously, the downtime was to end after seven weeks.
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Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has announced that the company will review it’s plans for opening a U.S. based manufacturing plant in the first quarter of 2009.
He maintains to a local paper, that it is a very good possibility that the manufacturer might share the same plant that VW is planning on building in the states.
The facility will support the current line up of A4 and Q5 Audis. To learn more about the Q5, please visit www.q5-audi.com.
Stadler also claims that Audi is on track to launch an electric version of their vehicles as soon as 2010, jumping on the bandwagon with other manufacturers.
The company has set a sales target of selling 1.5 million vehicles by 2015. A factory set up in the states seems like a very good strategic solution to make those numbers a reality.
Please visit www.AudiForum.ca to keep up to date on the current events with Audi’s direction.
According to sources close to VW’s management team claim that Huntsville, Alabama came out on top to be the location that facilitates VW’s newest planned extension in U.S. production.
Chattanaooga, Tenn. offered more incentives, however was not able to meet the deadlines for development set forth by VW. The development will commence in 2010 and will be to the tune of $788 million.
This is the latest piece of the puzzle to ensure stable supply to VW’s expansion plans, which include sales of 800,000 VW’s and 200,000 Audi’s by 2018. The new plant will have an output of 300,000 units annually.
