One of the world’s largest vehicle manufacturers is temporarily stalling its ambitious plans for new electric vehicles over ongoing factory concerns.
Audi has been seen to fall behind other marketplace rivals like Mercedes and BMW, who are preparing to launch their next generation of EVs in a matter of years.
The German brand plans to bring out 20 models by 2026, with half of them being fully electric, with Audi already manufacturing many popular EV models with its e-tron series.
Audi has struggled recently with the Q6 e-tron being pushed back repeatedly, with the manufacturer planning to release another electric model next year, in addition to two combustion engine cars.
The brand is continuing to produce ICE vehicles alongside electric cars
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Drivers are still hesitant to switch to electric, especially with Audi’s higher-end range of EVs which start from £51,000, while other models retail from £100,000 like the SQ8 Sportback e-tron.
Gernot Döllner, CEO of Audi AG, spoke about the future of electric cars and the plans for the future during an interview at the brand’s Ingolstadt headquarters in Germany.
He said: “We first looked at what order and density of launches the organization could handle.
“In the end, we decided to spread it out to not overwhelm the team and the dealerships. The advantage of EVs is becoming visible to consumers step by step.
“With this triad – our new EVs, a new generation plug-in hybrids and internal combustion engine models – we’re robustly and flexibly positioned for the transition phase,” Bloomberg reported.
There are fears that Audi could be left behind in the EV transition by continuing to produce new petrol and diesel vehicles, with brands like Tesla and China’s BYD already making major strides with electric cars.
The Audi SQ8 e-tron EV starts from more than £100,000
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The majority of new electric cars start from £30,000 with the OBR saying this would “likely still be disincentivising many consumers”.
Despite this, many manufacturers are looking to bring prices down to around £20,000 and lower in the coming years.
