Audi to end development of new combustion engines

Wednesday, 17 March 2021

The Audi e-tron GT is finally here.

Audi has confirmed it is ending the development of all new diesel and petrol combustion engines. However, it will continue updating the existing powertrains to meet future emissions regulations.

That means future generations of Audi models will be purely electric, which might not come as that much of a surprise.

Speaking to German publication Automobilewoche, head of Audi, Markus Duesmann, said it will be a “huge technical challenge” to update its existing combustion engine for the stricter Euro 7 emissions standards. He added that he thinks the environment actually has little to benefit from the cleaner engines.

Future versions of Audi models, including the RS line-up, will be fully electric as Audi has stopped developing all new combustion engines.

Audi’s also affects the wider Volkswagen Group. When VAG released its 2019 financial results, it named Audi as its leader of research and development. With the Four Rings brand ditching future combustion engines in favour of electricity, other VAG brands will likely be forced to follow suit.

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The Euro 7 emissions rules don’t kick in until 2025 so there’s a good amount of time before we see a fully electric Audi range. Audi will certify its current crop of combustion engines for Euro 7 which gives it plenty of time for electrical R&D.

Duesmann has previously raised the idea of Audi going entirely electric by 2035, and while that wasn't an official confirmation from the company, it does give us some idea of how quickly Audi could convert to volts-only power.

In the meantime, Audi wants to offer 20 electric models in the next five years. These include the e-tron GT sports car and the forthcoming Q4 e-tron. Duesmann told Automobilewoche that he expects the electric Q4 to be a volume seller, as does Audi New Zealand’s boss, Dean Sheed.

“The e-tron family will continue to expand in New Zealand in 2021 with the arrival of the e-tron GT by mid-year in both GT and RS GT versions, followed by the high performance “S” models of the current e-tron in both SUV and Sportback body styles.

“Globally we will reveal the new Q4 e-tron our all electric mid size SUV towards the end of 2021. This car will become a volume seller for us locally sometime in 2022.”

Other potential electric models for Audi include an R8 and a return of the A2 badge, which previously spawned an entirely electric concept car in 2011. Audi considered putting it into production but never did.