The pendulum swings in mysterious ways. First, it seemed every brand’s future was moving towards EVs, and now some are pulling back from this declaration. Audi is the latest to make that announcement.
According to Autocar and relayed to us by Car and Driver, Audi is reversing its 2033 plan to eliminate internal combustion engines. In a nod to that finance class you took years ago, Audi is swinging back to ICE so as to keep its portfolio diversified. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told Autocar that “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.”
That doesn’t mean the all-EV plan won’t happen, but this change in strategy is certainly fantastic for enthusiasts. For now, Audi will put its money towards ICE and hybrid technology, which means absolutely cool-but-unaffordable models like the RS6 Avant can remain on our dream car list while the future will show no established deadline for an EV-only lineup, bucking the European Union’s current 2035 EV mandate.
Additionally, Audi will be leading Volkswagen Group’s development of hardware and software for all larger models within the Volkswagen Group’s umbrella, which includes the Audi A5 on up. “[Audi is] thinking about everything … we are car guys, let yourself be surprised,” adds Döllner.
