German luxury automaker Audi has just declared plans to launch cheaper electric vehicle offerings amid its ongoing efforts to become an all-electric brand, AutoCar reports, citing Audi CEO Gernot Döllner on Tuesday.
Audi plans to introduce a more affordable EV
Audi is reportedly bolstering its efforts to develop a new entry-level electric vehicle model that will sit below the Q4 e-tron, which starts at more than $50,000.
The planned EV will arrive as an electric counterpart of the A3 or Q3 models, with Audi CEO Gernot Döllner hinting that it will be a “wonderful, unique, independent concept.”
The lower-cost model is due to arrive in 2027. According to CEO Döllner, it will be an outcome of an accelerated development time of only about 3 years.
Unfortunately, the Audi boss omitted to share more details about the planned electric vehicle model. However, considering the brand’s appetite for SUVs, the lower-cost EV may arrive as a crossover as a sibling to the Q3. It is also worth noting that the new model will ride on Volkswagen’s MEB platform rather than the new PPE architecture, according to ex-tech chief Oliver Hoffman.
However, Audi CEO Döllner said that the company has yet to decide on the final platform they will use on the new EV.
“…final decision on which platform we will use has not been taken.”
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner
CEO Döllner also did not tease the potential name of the new EV, but it has recently updated its naming strategy to use even numbers for EVs and odd numbers for ICE cars. Therefore, it may use the name A2 E-tron or Q2 E-Tron, even though it won’t have any relation to the prior models with those names.
Audi’s EV plans
Audi CEO Döllner asserted that the Q6 e-tron is the “start of an extensive product initiative.” He also reiterated plans to become an all-electric vehicle brand by 2027 despite the challenges it faces this year.
“Despite the recent public debate, there is no doubt the future of the car is electric. At Audi, we will electrify all core segments by 2027 and have defined a fully electric target portfolio.”
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner
That said, Audi plans to launch the final internal combustion engine-powered vehicle onto the market in 2026, as CEO Döllner told journalists at an event in Ingolstadt, Germany.
Audi recently introduced the new Q6 E-Tron on Monday as it seeks to advance in the electric vehicle industry. It will ride on the PPE platform developed by its sister company Porsche.
All these efforts are part of Audi’s electrification strategy to launch more than 20 new electric vehicle models by the end of 2025 globally. Before that, it will electrify all its core segments by 2027.
