Audi to slam brakes on combustion engine models by 2033

Audi has announced that it will pull the plugs on ICE cars completely by 2033. The company has announced the launch of a new corporate strategy – 'Vorsprung 2030' under which it plans to launch only EVs from 2026. The new strategy defines a clear timeline for the German luxury car brand to make the electric mobility transition.

Audi cars will come equipped only with electric drive systems from 2026. And it will start phasing out the existing ICE models starting from now to 2033. Needless to say, the company will continue to service all its ICE cars throughout their lifespan.

Audi Vorsprung 2030 breakdown:

Built around the theme "Vorsprung durch Technik", Audi's new strategy means Progress through Technology. “We view ourselves as a company that guarantees the freedom and individual mobility of our customers. We don’t simply develop technology for its own sake. It must be consequential and effective in keeping the world moving," said Audi CEO Markus Duesmann.

The German carmaker has put together a team of roughly 500 employees including Audi’s chief strategist Silja Pieh, across China and US, to analyse more than 600 current and forecasted global trends through to 2030 in the mobility sector that are likely to become relevant for the brand.

The company says that its electric vehicles will be strongly distinctive from rivals. Oliver Hoffmann, member of the board of management for technical development at Audi, said, “In the future, we will be very explicit in our definition of what driving an Audi should feel like. This also applies to highly automated driving, by the way."

The company also adds that the group’s software arm, CARIAD, will play a significant role in its 2030 strategy. By 2025, CARIAD will be responsible for developing a scalable software platform with a standardised operating system and cloud connectivity for all VW Group brands.

It won't be wrong to assume that the company's current portfolio of ICE cars that include the likes of A4, A6 and more, could only see one last generation update before the brand ceases development on the ICE platforms completely by 2026.

In context to the Indian market, the brand has already launched the e-tron SUV and e-tron Sportback, and is also planning its third battery-powered car in the form of e-tron GT.

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