Volkswagen Group-owned luxury brand Audi has just announced plans to expand its portfolio to add hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) amid the slower-than-expected uptake. Nonetheless, it remains committed to its goals to go all-electric in 2033.
Audi to focus on plug-in hybrids as bridge to all-electric lineup
Audi plans to expand its HEV lineup over the coming years as it realized that the shift from traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) cars to battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) would take “longer than initially thought, AutoCar reports, citing CEO Gernot Döllner’s recent remarks.
Despite Audi’s new focus on HEV technology, it reiterated its commitment to only offer BEV models starting in 2033. However, the phase-out of ICE motors will transpire longer than planned.
Audi Chief Executive Gernot Döllner asserted that the brand’s strategy is “future-proofed for the next 10 years.” He expects this period to be an extended “transition phase” from ICE to BEVs.
“Within the Volkswagen Group, we recognised early on that plug-in hybrids were a relevant project technology and now we see that the bridge is longer than we initially thought.”
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner
Shift comes amidst slower EV adoption than anticipated
Other major OEMs, like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Ford, BYD, Kia, and Stellantis, have announced similar plans to focus on hybrid powertrains in recent weeks for the same reasons – slower-than-expected electric vehicle adoption.
Customers seem to favor hybrid models more than higher-cost BEVs. In response, Audi has developed a new ICE lineup for its next-gen PHEV models. These models can reportedly deliver up to 62 miles of driving range on electric power alone, owing to a larger battery pack.
These upcoming models will ride on the new PPC versatile platform, starting with the recently unveiled Audi A5.
Despite the plan changes, the Audi CEO assured the brand’s long-term vision involves an all-electric future.
“We see right now a slowly negative trend in battery-electric vehicles, but there are still positive growth rates regarding battery-electric vehicles, so it’s just that the growth rates have have slowed down. But we believe, especially with the gradient of the innovation in the battery-electric segment, that the battery-electric vehicle is superior.
For the next 10 years at least, we will have a transition phase with three relevant drivetrains: that’s highly efficient ICE drivetrains, plug-in hybrids (especially becoming important in China and North America), and battery-electric vehicles. The positive message is that we are flexible.”
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner
Audi’s BEV business
Audi currently has four electric vehicle offerings in its lineup, with plans to expand it with the arrival of its new A6 E-tron. The new model will debut soon before its market launch in late 2024.
After that, Audi plans to introduce the new A4 E-tron in 2026. It is also currently developing the electric counterparts of popular models like the A3 and A8, according to the report.
These upcoming models are part of Audi’s plans to complete its first-gen electric car portfolio in 2027, just a year following the launch of its last ICE vehicle model.
