Audi Still Plans to Phase Out ICE by 2033, Go Fully Electric
Audi seemingly backed off its EV ambitions late last year, but is now reaffirming its commitment to electrification.
It was a mere few years ago that Audi announced it planned to phase out ICE vehicles and transition its entire lineup to EVs in the coming years, and since then, the brand has worked toward that goal by launching multiple all-electric models and revealing several others set to debut in the coming years. However, through the course of 2023, consumer demand for EVs began to soften considerably, even as sales continued to rise – a market shit that prompted many automakers to scale back their electrification plans. This seemingly included Audi, as CEO Gernot Döllner admitted in an interview late last year that the brand planned to push back the launch of the new Q6 e-tron while also continuing to add new ICE products to its lineup. However, that major shift hasn’t apparently changed its longer term plans, as many assumed at the time.
In a recent interview with Automotive News Europe, Döllner reiterated Audi’s plan to launch 20 new ICE, PHEV, and EV models over the course of 2024 and 2025, as well as the brand’s intentions to simplify its lineup by 2030. However, he also noted that in spite of his previous comments, Audi remains committed to going all-electric in the coming years.
“The speed of transformation may fluctuate here and there, but the main theme is clear: We will all go electric. That’s the way, that’s technologically clear,” Döllner said, while also confirming that Audi still plans to phase out the sale of ICE vehicles in the U.S. and Europe by 2033. “Yes, it stays that way. We will position ourselves well with a new generation of all-electric models, combustion engines and plug-in hybrids, and we will be able to act flexibly if necessary. But I don’t think that will be necessary.”
Interestingly, Döllner added that he doesn’t believe consumer demand for ICE vehicles will remain strong in the coming years, which helps justify this plan. “We will see significantly reduced sales volumes for combustion engines as early as 2026,” he noted, adding “the volumes per vehicle will be so low that it is no longer feasible, especially for suppliers.” The Audi CEO also stated that if the political climate changes in the coming months in the U.S. or abroad, the brand plans to stick with its EV ambitions, regardless – even if policies revolving around emissions and fuel economy standards ultimately soften, as has already been the case in places like the U.S. as of late.
While these comments support what Döllner stated mere months ago, it’s certainly interesting to see that his conviction around EVs remains, even as that particular type of vehicle has hit a proverbial bump in the road as of late. Whether or not that trend proves temporary or continues for months or even years remains to be seen, but at the moment, Audi clearly believes that EVs are the future, and it’s placing most of its chips in that particular basket, even with a few new ICE models set to debut in the next few years.
Photos: Audi
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