Future is an attitude: Audi México celebrates five years of production in San José Chiapa and goes for more

Audi México is the Audi Group's newest plant. It is equipped with the latest advances in manufacturing processes and is committed to ecological, social, and economic sustainability.

The 460-hectare Audi plant in Mexico is located in San José Chiapa, 60 kilometers from Puebla. It plays an important role in the internationalization of the brand as part of the Volkswagen Group's network of production plants.

On May 4, 2013, the first stone was laid to mark the start of construction in the municipality of San José Chiapa. During construction from 2013 to 2016, supplier development and employee training were carried out. On October 21, 2014, the 20,000-square-meter Audi Training Center was opened in the immediate vicinity of the plant. On September 30, 2016, the inauguration of the Audi México plant took place. When production commenced, the Audi Q5 became the first premium car made in Mexico. It is exported to Europe, the USA, and Canada.

In 2019, six years after the plant's groundbreaking, Audi México announced the production of the Q5 TFSI e, the first premium hybrid produced in the country. With the introduction of this variant into Audi México's product portfolio, the plant in San José Chiapa contributes to Audi's electrification strategy.

In 2023, on the 10th anniversary of the plant's groundbreaking, it reached the milestone of the first million cars produced in Mexico. Last year, Audi México manufactured 175,626 Audi Q5.

High-tech at an altitude of 2,400 meters

The press shop in San José Chiapa is one of the most modern on the continent and in the world. This is where the parts for assembling the bodywork are manufactured. The body shop is a benchmark for robotics. There, over 800 state-of-the-art robots work on the construction of the car. The painting process is a particular challenge. Because air pressure is significantly lower at an altitude of 2,400 meters, significantly larger and more powerful engines must be used.

The Audi site in Mexico was the first Audi factory to be planned virtually. It was put into operation 30 percent faster than usual – a record in the automotive industry.

Currently, Audi México has more than 180 suppliers. With the adjacent Just-in-Sequence (JIS) Park, where many suppliers are located, transport connections from suppliers to production are short.

In order to ensure premium quality, the company connects its new plant to the other sites in the global Audi production network. In combination with the quality laboratory and the Audi Training Center, Audi ensures that the quality standard is world-class.