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In a significant shift from its previous commitment, luxury car manufacturer Audi has announced a more flexible approach to phasing out vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE). This change in strategy, led by new CEO Gernot Döllner, represents a departure from the aggressive electrification roadmap set by prior leadership.
Previously, Audi aimed to halt ICE development by 2026 and end sales by 2033. However, the company has now abandoned a fixed end date for ICE production and sales, instead focusing on responding to market demand and regulatory developments.
As part of this new strategy, Audi will launch a completely new lineup of gasoline, diesel, and plug-in hybrid vehicles between 2024 and 2026. These models are expected to remain in production for at least the next seven to ten years, meaning ICE vehicles could be built well into the 2030s.
While extending ICE production, Audi is also accelerating its electric vehicle (EV) lineup. A new A3-sized EV is planned for 2026, and the company continues to invest in electrification and digitalization. The reversal affects all model lines, including high-performance RS models, with plans to introduce hybrid and even full-electric variants alongside traditional ICE options.
The decision to abandon rigid deadlines is driven by uncertainties in global EV adoption rates, infrastructure development, and consumer preferences. This approach aligns Audi with industry peers like Mercedes-Benz, which have also moderated their EV-only timelines, and BMW, which never set a firm ICE phase-out date.
Audi remains committed to advancing EV technology, particularly through its role in the Volkswagen Group’s next-generation Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), set to debut around 2027–2028. This platform will underpin the Group’s future software-defined electric vehicles, with Audi leading development for larger vehicle segments.
The exact new plans for Audi's Neckarsulm plant, which was planned to introduce only electric vehicles from 2026, are currently unknown. The change in plans may put Audi employees in a difficult situation, as they were preparing for the shift to electric vehicles, but this is not explicitly stated in the article.
The change in Audi's plans may impact the company's commitment to sustainable mobility, but specifics are not mentioned in the article. Audi's new approach prioritises flexibility, aiming to respond to the evolving global market conditions and consumer preferences. As such, ICE vehicles will continue to play a significant role in Audi's portfolio for the foreseeable future, with no definitive end date in sight.
- In the wake of Audi's revised strategy, the company will expand its offerings in various sectors, including the automotive industry, finance, transportation, and even the technology realm, by launching a new lineup of gasoline, diesel, and plug-in hybrid vehicles, as well as accelerating its electric vehicle lineup.
- As the global EV adoption rates, infrastructure development, and consumer preferences remain uncertain, Audi, like its industry peers such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, has chosen to prioritize flexibility, ensuring ICE vehicles will continue to have a significant role in its portfolio for the foreseeable future, without setting any definitive end date for their production or sales.
