Audi’s plans for electric models are becoming more and more: these are the next steps

Audi will present the Q6 Sportback E-Tron in the second half of the year. This is an SUV coupe. Image: Computer Graphics by Schulte Design

In the last few weeks and months there has been a heated debate in the European Union about the phase-out of combustion engines. However, the brand with four rings is not restricted and remains in the stream. “We must not allow ourselves to be swayed by the current discussions,” says Audi boss Gernot Döllner. “The future of the car is clearly electric.”

Audi will stick to its plan to introduce its last combustion engine in 2026 and say goodbye to conventional drives by 2033, the 55-year-old said. it succeeds.

The Q6 E-Tron from Audi can be ordered from the end of March.
| Photo: (AUDI AG)

Electromobility at Audi: All core parts will be electrified by 2027

“At Audi, we are electrifying the main segment by 2027 and have defined a target electrification portfolio,” says Audi CEO Döllner. “At the same time, it will also be important to launch more efficient combustion engines and plug-in hybrids. With the models coming now, we are in a good position and can respond to the different needs of customers.

After the Q6 E-Tron, the next important innovation is already on the horizon, the A6 E-Tron. It will be delivered before the summer holidays and comes as a sedan and station wagon. Like the Q6 E-Tron, the new series will also be built at the company’s headquarters in Ingolstadt. One thing is already certain: the second generation of the A6 E-Tron will come from Neckarsulm from around 2030 or 2031.

Electromobility at Audi: Especially fast charging is the goal

The A6 E-Tron is also based on the new PPE (Premium Platform Electric) platform with 800 volt technology, which enables especially fast charging up to 270 kW. In concrete terms, this means that in ideal conditions it takes just over 20 minutes to go from ten percent to 80 percent charge.

In the summer, Audi will launch the A6 E-Tron as a sedan and station wagon. Here in the photo, Stromer can still be seen as studies approaching production. Photo: Audi

The Q6 Sportback E-Tron will also be launched at the end of the year: the second body variant is an SUV coupé. Between all variants of the new Q6 E-Tron and A6 E-Tron electric series, there will also be specific RS variants from the Neckarsulm subsidiary Audi Sport GmbH.

In 2027, electric cars from Audi will increase

Audi boss Döllner wants to plug more gaps in the electric portfolio in the second half of the decade. The A4 E-Tron will be launched in 2026 or 2027 at the latest as a sedan and station wagon in the upper middle class. There will also be a full entry-level model below the Q4 E-Tron.

According to information from Heilbronn Sound The prototype will be an electric car roughly the size of today’s A3. E3, according to the local name, “will combine elements from different body shapes,” says one from technical development. The car will likely be a hybrid of the standard five-door A3 with an SUV-like raised seating position.

Electromobility at Audi: Electric luxury cars are built in Neckarsulm

Also from 2027, two electric luxury cars will be produced in Neckarsulm as successors to the A8. They are currently being developed under the project names Landyacht and Landjet. The land yacht is a flat limousine. The Landjet was originally intended to be a high-performance coup. However, insiders report that Audi boss Döllner now wants the car to be redesigned into a regular SUV.

He told his top management in December 2023 that he wanted “two technological models” – an SUV and a sports car, electric of course. The SUV is probably the Landjet, which will share technology with the Porsche K1, a large off-road vehicle above the Cayenne.

From 2027, a luxury electric land yacht will be built in Neckarsulm. The Grandsphere Concept study serves as an example. Photo: Audi

900-volt technology will be used here for the first time, enabling even faster charging processes. Officially, the company says, “the full implementation of the two vehicles is yet to be determined”. There is a lot of interest in the D part of electricity. Audi is working on interesting solutions.

The all-electric sports car is reportedly a two-seater that could share a platform with the future Porsche 718. The car, named the Avus project, is intended to fill the gap at the Böllinger Höfe site that occurred after production of the R8 sports car was completed.

The electric car segment at Audi is set to increase significantly

“We are currently investigating how a car like this can be presented financially,” an insider tells our editorial team. More than a year ago, the idea was rejected because the car would not be profitable. Oliver Blume is said to support the car.

The number of four-wheeled electric vehicles delivered increased by 51 percent to nearly 178,000 units in 2023. The share of total sales was 9.4 percent. According to information from Heilbronn Sound The value is expected to rise to at least 15 percent by the end of 2025.

The company reportedly expects a significant drop in demand for vehicles with combustion engines as early as 2026. By then, the share of electric vehicles in total sales could increase to five.