One of the automaker’s newest battery-powered vehicles is the Audi Q4 Sportback 50 e-tron quattro. Its MEB platform is shared by electric vehicles from the Volkswagen Group, including the VW ID4 and Skoda Enyaq.
Germany According to CEO Markus Duesmann, Audi will expedite its transition to become an electric-only automaker and phase out the production of combustion engines by the early part of the next decade, with the exception of China.
According to a statement released by the carmaker on Tuesday, Audi will exclusively introduce new all-electric cars on the world market beginning in 2026.
According to Duesmann’s statement, “Audi is prepared to make its definitive and strong leap into the electric age.”
Up to 2033, the manufacturer will gradually stop producing internal combustion engines. Audi stated that customers and legislation would ultimately determine when the combustion engine would be phased out.
The statement said, “The firm expects to see ongoing demand in China beyond 2033, which is why there may be a supply of automobiles there using locally produced combustion engines.”
Audi intends to considerably increase the number of fully electric vehicles in its inventory, with the goal of having more than 20 fully electric vehicles available by 2025.
“Audi is already launching more electric cars than models with combustion engines this year,” the statement stated. “These new models include the e-tron GT, RS e-tron GT, Q4 e-tron, and Q4 Sportback e-tron.”
Regarding how its product line may change, Audi did not offer any additional information. Additionally, it omitted mentioning the North American phaseout timeframe for combustion engines.
According to reports in the German media, the Q8, which will debut in 2026 alongside an electric counterpart, the Q8 e-tron, would likely be Audi’s final internal combustion engine vehicle.
The A3 and A4 won’t have replacements with combustion engines; instead, the A3 e-tron and A4 e-tron will take their place. According to the sources, the A5 and A6 models will follow a similar timeline.
Audi stated that it intends to increase the fuel efficiency of current combustion engine automobile generations.
The final internal combustion engine manufactured by Audi will be the best one ever, according to Duesmann. “I do not think that prohibitions are effective. I think that innovation and technology will succeed.”
The Euro 7 tailpipe pollution rules, whose first guideline seemed to make it difficult for the ICE to survive, may have been mentioned in Duesmann’s comment about bans.
He explained via email that premium companies are under more pressure since historically, they have sold vehicles with higher CO2 emissions and because of Tesla’s impending danger. The assertions made by Audi are not surprising given these arguments and the strict future emission limits being implemented in areas like China and Europe.
According to the market, Pacheco predicted that the rate of electrification would vary substantially.
“Offering a fully electric model range in a market where electrification hasn’t yet achieved a significant market share will be the big test to the resolve of each manufacturer towards full electrification,” he said.
Audi has gone further in its transformation to electric-only vehicles than its rival German luxury companies, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which want to go fully electric after a more careful transition.
Mercedes announced in March that it would quicken the transition to electric vehicles, but it gave no information regarding how quickly its automobile lineup will go electric. By 2030, BMW anticipates selling half of its vehicles as fully electrified vehicles.
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When will Audi switch to electric vehicles?
Audi officially announced in March of this year that it was ceasing all development of internal combustion engines in favor of a wholly electric vehicle-focused strategy. The company’s board chairman Markus Duesmann later announced to German media that starting in 2026, all new Audis would be electric. The schedule for the phase-out of internal combustion engines was also reaffirmed today with the announcement that “new Audi models will be all-electric starting in 2026, and combustion engine manufacture will finish in 2033.”
The proposal was unveiled as part of Audi’s new Vorsprung 2030 credo, which outlines the company’s plans to produce automobiles in a more sustainable manner. The focus shifts from the phase-out of combustion to seeking out those incredibly hot automotive buzzwords, or “synergies,” that will aid the brand in shifting its primary source of revenues from combustion car sales to electric.
Audi’s chief strategist Silja Pieh, together with roughly 500 other personnel from innovation and major markets, including China and the United States, worked on Vorsprung 2030.
The good news is that there will soon be more E-trons. However, Vorsprung 2030 also includes efforts to distinguish Audi’s EVs from those of rivals and other VW brands. Currently, the Porsche Taycan’s core technology is used in all E-tron vehicles. In order to create a distinctive Audi feel, Audi plans to consider future aspects such as “steering angle requirements, hand torque, and acoustics.”
It goes without saying that changing a firm will cost money. “We must and will indeed free up the proper financial resources to address a transition such as the one Audi is presently facing,” said Jrgen Rittenburger, member of the board for finance and legal affairs. The only way to guarantee our long-term viability and competitiveness is to do this.
That entails things like ending Formula E’s enjoyment and a corporate hunt for more intelligent methods to conduct business. Or, as it appears we must do now, “synergies.”
If that’s not exciting, perhaps the future emphasis on Audi maintaining its Vorsprung and seeking to offer distinctively Audi driving experiences will be.
By 2030, will all vehicles be electric?
- According to a recent KPMG study, auto executives think President Joe Biden’s target of having half of new vehicles sold in the U.S. be electric by 2030 is realistic.
- By 2030, executives anticipate that, despite widely varying projections, 52 percent of new car sales will be all-electric.
- Most survey respondents predict that the entry of a wave of new electric vehicle start-ups will have a “modest influence” on the world market.
On November 17, 2021, in Detroit, President Joe Biden makes a speech while touring the General Motors Factory ZERO electric vehicle assembly facility.
According to a new study issued Tuesday by accounting and consulting firm KPMG, automotive executives predict that more than half of their sales will be electric vehicles by 2030, in line with President Joe Biden’s EV sales target.
Executives anticipate that by 2030, 52% of new car sales would be all-electric, despite predictions ranging considerably from more than 20% to over 90%. The survey, which questioned more than 1,100 global automobile executives, predicts the same amount for China and Japan.
Many investors and observers of the industry may find the results surprising. The United States continues to behind other nations, like China, in terms of the adoption of electric vehicles. Major automakers Ford Motor and General Motors only committed to a goal of between 40 percent and 50 percent by 2030 when Biden unveiled the EV sales target in August, which includes counts plug-in electric hybrid vehicles toward the objective.
Automobile forecasters and analysts have also stated that despite their agreement that the industry will adopt electric vehicles quickly, Biden’s target is unlikely to be met.
When will most vehicles be electric?
According to market research firm IHS Markit, by 2035, electric vehicles may account for around 45 percent of new auto sales. By 2050, approximately half of all vehicles on the road would be electric.
What does Audi’s future hold?
The Q8, which will debut in Brussels in 2026 alongside a fully electric variant, the Q8 e-tron, is reportedly Audi’s final internal combustion engine vehicle. The image shows the current Q8.
Germany According to estimates in German media, Audi will cease developing new internal combustion engine models by the end of 2026 and devote all of its attention to fully electric drivetrains.
According to the reports, which cited corporate sources, Audi CEO Markus Duesmann made the announcement during a management meeting on Thursday at the company’s headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany.
Audi intends to stop making new gasoline, diesel, and hybrid vehicles, although its new models introduced by 2026 will still be produced and sold well into the early 2030s. After that, Audi will only produce electric vehicles.
The A3 and A4 will not be replaced by vehicles powered by combustion engines, but rather by the A3 e-tron and A4 e-tron electric vehicles, according to Automobilwoche. According to German business publication Handelsblatt, Audi’s A5 and A6 models will develop into electric vehicles on a similar schedule.
The Q8, which will debut in 2026 alongside an electric version, the Q8 e-tron, will probably be Audi’s final internal combustion engine vehicle. According to Handelsblatt, which cited unidentified sources within Audi, the internal combustion engine Q8 will thereafter continue to be built until 2032.
When the A6 e-tron fully electric variant arrives on sale in early 2023, Audi has stated that it would be offered alongside the regular A6 versions. A6 e-tron concept vehicle with a 100 kilowatt-hour battery that will enable a range of more than 700 km (435 miles) in production form was unveiled at the Shanghai auto show in April.
It will follow the Q6 e-tron big SUV, which is scheduled to go on sale in the second half of 2022, as the second Audi vehicle to be constructed on the PPE (premium platform electric) architecture created with Porsche.
According to Duesmann, who spoke in March, Audi intends to increase its full-electric lineup to 20 vehicles globally by 2025. By 2030, Audi and Porsche, a sister brand of the Volkswagen Group, intend to sell 7 million vehicles built on the PPE platform.
The e-tron, e-tron Sportback, and e-tron GT are the three current fully electric vehicles from Audi. The MLB Evo platform from Audi serves as the foundation for the e-tron and e-tron Sportback, while the J1 platform from the e-tron GT is shared with the Porsche Taycan.
Mercedes announced in March that it would quicken the transition to electric vehicles, but it gave no information regarding how quickly its automobile lineup will go electric. BMW claims that by 2030, fully electric vehicles will account for 50% of company sales.
As lawmakers in Europe and other important markets enforce stricter emissions regulations to combat climate change and air pollution, several automakers have made concrete plans to switch to all-electric vehicles.
By 2030, Ford stated that it would only sell fully electric passenger vehicles in Europe. Jaguar Land Rover CEO Thierry Bollore announced the brand’s transition to all-electric vehicles starting in 2025. Jaguar is recognized for its high-performance sports cars.
By 2030, according to Volvo, all of its vehicles will be battery-electric. Bentley said in November that it would transition its complete model lineup to all electric vehicles by 2030, doing away with internal combustion engines from all of its automobiles.
Is BMW switching to all-electric vehicles?
BMW hasn’t made the commitment to switch to all-electric vehicles by 2030 like some of its rivals have. However, the German firm is moving in that direction quite quickly. This year sees the debut of the historic i4 sedan and iX crossover. And BMW intends to introduce its first specifically designed EV platform, the so-called “Neue Klasse,” perhaps alongside the new 3 Series, in 2025.
The addition of the electrified Neue Klasse platform to the BMW lineup won’t be a minor one. At some point in the future, it will essentially represent the whole BMW lineup, according to BMW. BMW CEO Oliver Zipse revealed on a quarterly earnings call that the company had abandoned ambitions to make the Neue Klasse compatible with combustion, hybrid, and diesel applications.
When it debuts, it will primarily target the 3-Series market, Zipse said. At that time, the market will have grown to the point where it is reasonable to have just one drivetrain in that design. Later, BMW will extend the platform to include BMW’s smaller and larger vehicles, which should provide more efficient combustion.
The Neue Klasse, according to Zipse, “is (BMW’s) model range for the future.” And he said that BMW was exerting every effort to meet its target of having half of its car sales be electric vehicles by 2030, a goal that at this point seems astonishingly modest.
BMW had been one of the main EV skeptics despite being one of the first manufacturers to enter the EV market with the cutting-edge i3 hatchback. The corporation waited for the market to signal that it was ready for EVs before hedging its bets with hybrid systems. Newly released combustion and electric models of the 7 Series. While competitors like Mercedes, Audi, and Porsche already have dedicated EV platform vehicles on the road, the all-electric Neue Klasse makes its debut in 2025.
A fundamental shift for BMW is its belief that it doesn’t need to rely on internal combustion engines. And it’s simple to understand why they are turning given Tesla’s excellent EV sales numbers and vehicles like the Ford F-15o Lightning in BMW’s price range.
Is the Audi e-tron still available?
Only a few months have passed since the first prototype was spotted being tested on German streets when these latest spy photos were taken. The same camouflage is being worn by the new prototype. The front and back are mostly hidden by the camouflage. So, anticipate a new, narrower grille with a style influenced by the just-released e-Tron GT. The headlamps will get a new design, and the front bumper will also be updated. The thinner taillights are the sole observable modification at the rear.
You shouldn’t anticipate any significant interior modifications, but you should anticipate battery updates that enable a greater range and quicker charging. Recall that the present Sportback’s two electric motors, one in the front and one in the back, produce a combined 335 horsepower and 414 pound-feet of torque. The output is increased to 402 horsepower and 490 pound-feet in an overboost mode. The battery in the vehicle has a 95 kWh capacity and a 218-mile range.
Recall that the Q8 E-Tron will replace the e-tron Sportback when it is retired in 2026. The next Q8 e-tron will receive its own dedicated EV platform, most likely the same modular PPE platform that Audi and Porsche developed for large vehicles. This is in contrast to the current e-tron models, which are built on the same MLB architecture that supports models like the Volkswagen Touareg and the Bentley Bentayga. This indicates that the performance and range of the next Q8 e-tron will be better.
But before then, anticipate the redesigned e-tron Sportback to make its public debut in late 2022 as a 2023 model.
Will the Audi A3 be available in electric only?
The plug-in hybrid variant of the standard Audi A3 is known as the A3 Sportback e-tron. So, rather than only having a standard gasoline or diesel engine, this also includes an electric motor and a sizable battery. That means it can travel over 30 miles on electric power alone before switching to the petrol engine, which can then be used to either drive or recharge the battery, giving the vehicle a healthy overall range.
It serves as a substitute for other plug-in vehicles such the Kia Niro, Toyota Prius plug-in, and Volkswagen Golf GTE. Like them, it also makes no effort to differentiate itself from the more traditional models in its lineup. On the other hand, it takes a lot of effort to distinguish an e-tron from a 1.4 TSI.
The e-pricing tron’s is the primary distinction between it and the other A3s, other than the engines. Although the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron is one of the priciest models in the lineup, it does come with a ton of features, like a seven-inch infotainment screen, automatic lighting and wipers, LED headlights, and rear parking sensors, which might result in very low operating expenses.
The Audi A3 Sportback e-tron can achieve more than 150 mpg and emits less than 50 g/km of CO2, according to official statistics. However, how you drive it will determine how near you can go to that. You may regularly achieve over 100 mpg if you take plenty of short journeys when you’ll be utilizing electricity nearly solely and keep the batteries charged.
Using a regular plug outlet, a full charge from the flat takes just under four hours. However, that charge period will be reduced to just two and a half hours if you can use a wallbox or a public Type 2 charger.
However, if you drive a lot of miles, especially on long highway journeys, an Audi A3 diesel would be a better option.
The A3 e-tron appears to offer both high economy and potent performance, but you should carefully consider your options to ensure that it is the appropriate vehicle for you.
The interior of the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron is remarkably similar to that of the standard A3. Because it is one of the most costly versions in the lineup, it boasts some of the nicest materials inside and the same superb build quality.
Additionally, it signifies that the amount of passenger room is equivalent to that of a standard A3. Since the vehicle has five doors and a hatchback configuration, four adults may fit inside in great comfort.
Practically speaking, e-tron owners simply have to give up the boot compared to those who own other A3s. That’s because the hybrid system’s batteries, which must go somewhere, are located beneath the boot floor. As a result, the boot capacity is about 100 liters less than it is in other Sportbacks. Of course, this is made much worse by the necessity of storing the charging wire in the boot.
In reality, those extra parts increase the weight of the automobile by 400 kg, which is the same as packing an extra five adults inside. Performance-wise, you won’t really notice this; on the contrary, the car seems fairly speedy thanks to the electric motors’ immediate response.
The e-tron feels less crisp through curves than a regular A3 Sportback, therefore the handling is what suffers. The e-tron, on the other hand, has softer suspension settings than the sportier basic car, so you experience fewer bumps as a result of the greater weight.
The Audi A3 e-tron won’t be for everyone, but it may easily pay for itself for someone who lives in a city with a short commute and convenient access to charging stations.