Audi Will Not Introduce ICE Vehicles After 2026, No Hybrid Vehicles Either

Volkswagen Group’s VWAGY Audi will not introduce cars based on petrol and diesel engines from 2026. 

What Happened: According to the German publication, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Audi will stop introducing new ICE vehicles from 2026. 

Audi has introduced electric vehicles in the last few months, including the e-Tron GT, Q4 e-Tron, and Q4 Sportback e-Tron. 

Duesmann’s report mentions there will be no hybrid vehicles either. Instead, it looks like the company will be going EV-only soon.

Audi will launch its final ICE-powered vehicle, the Q5, in 2026, which will be manufactured through to 2033, the report says. 

The company has said that it would not continue to develop its range of internal combustion engines. As a result, the A3 and A4 models will not have ICE-powered successors, Reuters reports. 

Audi is planning to phase out internal combustion engines by 2035. 

Why It Matters: Audi’s move to phase out ICE vehicles depends on the EV’s success and the plant’s switchover plans. Audi is planning to launch EVs A6 E-Tron and the Q5 E-Tron by 2022. 

Vehicle manufacturers have announced they will stop producing or selling fossil fuel-burning vehicles. In addition, countries across the globe are banning internal combustion vehicles. 

The announcement makes Audi the first major brand from Germany to go the fully electric path soon. Mercedes-Benz aims to kill ICE production by 2039, while Bayerische Motoren Werke BMWYY has not confirmed a date yet.

Toyota Motor Corporation TM recently outlined plans to transition from internal combustion vehicles toward eco-friendly electric cars. 

Image Courtesy: Audiusa