The end of the electric car dream: Audi has abandoned its plan to become an all-electric brand

Audi has officially abandoned plans to stop producing internal combustion engines by 2033. The company will remain "flexible" for the foreseeable future, keeping a close eye on market conditions. The decision is expected and follows the lead of several competitors who have already shelved their electric strategies in favour of a multi-vehicle approach.

Here's What We Know

Audi's last new petrol-powered car was supposed to debut in 2026, but that's no longer the case. Audi CEO Gernot Dolner told Autocar that the company has decided to "extend production beyond the previously announced completion dates." He added that plans for an all-electric future had been set by previous management.

"Audi is launching an entirely new range of internal combustion engine cars and plug-in hybrid models from 2024 to 2026. That gives us full flexibility for at least seven to eight, maybe ten years. And then we'll see how our markets develop," Döllner said in an interview.

The decision to extend the production of the internal combustion engine also applies to future RS models from the Audi Sport division. For example, the next generation RS6 is expected to feature a hybrid powertrain. Moreover, Döllner believes that Audi's participation in Formula 1 can "inspire thinking about the cars of the future."

According to the executive, Audi will not be making its own version of the smaller VW ID.2, Skoda Epiq and Cupra Raval electric cars. But he did confirm reports of an A3-sized electric car, which is being developed as a separate model and will debut in 2026. This means that the A3 and Q3 will be the entry models in Audi's line-up after the smaller A1 and Q2 are discontinued.

Finally, Audi's CEO confirmed that the brand will lead the development of VW Group hardware and software architectures for large models. Including the upcoming scalable SSP platform, which is due in 2027-2028.

SSP was originally conceived as a purely electric architecture. But it was recently revealed that it will also be compatible with internal combustion engines as generators for electric motors (so-called range-extenders).

Source: Autocar