Audi is going back on a decision to end the development and sale of internal combustion-powered vehicles in 2033, and that means an official switch to an all-EV lineup has no fixed starting date. The German automaker previously said it planned to end ICE development in 2026, but that sure as hell isn’t going to happen now.
In an interview with Autocar, Audi’s CEO, Gernot Döllner, said that he “had not been the one to communicate the end date.” It was technically a decision made by the previous management that I guess he didn’t jive with. Döllner told the outlet that he reversed the plan because he “believes in flexibility.” Here’s what else he told Autocar:
Audi is launching from 2024-2026 a completely new line-up of internal combustion engine and plug-in hybrid vehicles, and that gives us complete flexibility for at least another seven, eight, maybe 10 years, and then we will see how our markets develop.”
“We have already decided to extend the production beyond the communicated end dates of the past.”
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In another development, Döllner told the outlet that Audi would be leading the development of all Volkswagen Group hardware and software architecture for larger models in the future. That includes the next-generation SSP platform that’ll be used as the company’s move to “software-defined vehicles” for the first time, according to Autocar. The massive undertaking will actually be helped out by Rivian, and the plan is for the first Audis on SSP to hit the market in late 2027 or 2028.
The company is also cutting some lower-end models from its lineup like the A1 and Q2 — meaning the A3 and Q3 are set to become entry points for the brand. High-end models like the A8, Q7 and Q8 will stick around, though, Autocar reports.
Audi isn’t the first — and won’t be the last — brand to upend its EV plans in the wake of slower adoption and loosening ICE regulations. Last year, we reported that Aston Martin, Bentley, Ford, GM, Honda, Jaguar-Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volkswagen and Volvo were all shifting their EV plans around. Hell, earlier today we reported that Ferrari would be joining Lamborghini and Maserati when it comes to scaling back EV plans for high-performance vehicles.
A lot of this can be attributed to the U.S. government backpedaling on EV mandates following President Trump’s inauguration. We covered that whole mess for you right here. What a damn mess.
