Audi Sales Surge in U.S. During Q3 While VW Slips
Audi sales set a new record on the EV side of the equation, nearly doubling year-over-year to help buoy a healthy overall increase.
For some time, many have questioned Audi’s commitment to all-electric vehicles, as well as its parent Volkswagen’s decision to transition its entire passenger vehicle lineup to EVs in the coming years. Some will say it’s too soon to make such a move, while others are more keen to mourn the demise of the ICE engine in general. Regardless, at least in Q3 of 2023, it seems as if Audi sales prove that this is the right decision, though that wasn’t necessarily the case with VW.
While Volkswagen sales in the U.S. slipped 1.2 percent 87,756 units in the third quarter of the year, Audi sales totaled 59,535 units, which is a rather healthy increase of 21 percent. It’s the second straight quarter that VW has posted a sales loss, as well as the fifth consecutive quarter that Audi sales have grown, but perhaps the real story here is the strength of both brands’ EVs. While most of VW’s ICE lineup faltered, the ID.4 rose by a significant 61 percent, notably.
More impressively, Audi EV sales grew by a whopping 93 percent versus Q3 2022, nearly doubling last year’s total by reaching 7,538 units – a new record for the brand in that regard. EVs also represented 12.7 percent of Audi’s total sales in the last quarter, compared to 7.9 percent one year ago, though that wasn’t the case universally across the entire lineup. Instead, select models played a big role in this jump, while certain other ones lagged behind a bit.
In terms of individual models, two Audi EVs posted a 99 percent sales drop in Q3 – the e-tron SUV with just 15 units sold, and the e-tron Sportback at 8 units. However, the e-tron GT was up 16 percent with 638 units sold, followed by the Q4 e-tron SUV at 129 percent with 2,446 units sold, and the Q4 Sportback e-tron, which surged 1,886 percent to 834 units. Meanwhile, two brand new products – the Q8 Sportback e-tron (849 units) and Q8 e-tron (2,748 units) helped drive Audi to a new record in terms of EV sales.
Of course, it wasn’t just EVs helping drive this strong quarter, as a host of Audi ICE models also posted solid gains. That includes the A3 with 10,628 sales for a 51 percent gain, the A5 with 18,923 units sold, which was 35 percent more than last year, the A6 with a 38 percent gain to 5,898 units, the A8 at 1,716 units for a 67 percent gain, and the Q7, which sold 21,448 units for a 61 percent increase. Audi’s top-selling model – the Q5 – also moved 54,706 units for a solid 27 percent year-over-year increase.
Thus far, this bodes well for Audi’s goal of electrifying its entire lineup by 2026, though it certainly has some work to do convincing its many ICE buyers to make the switch. However, the early signs are certainly good, especially when we consider that unlike many other brands out there, its EVs don’t qualify for the $7,500. federal tax credit – for now, at least.
Photos: Audi
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