Audi’s line in the oil sands

The final petrol-powered Audi is just five years from launch

Not content with ceasing the development of internal combustion engines, Audi has set itself a hard deadline of 2026 to launch its final car powered by anything other than pure electrons – including hybrids. The edict has been passed onto high-ranking executives and labour reps from Audi CEO Markus Duesmann according to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Diesel, petrol, and hybrid models will all be affected, with Audi to develop, build and launch electric vehicles exclusively in just five years’ time. This news isn’t entirely surprising, with the Volkswagen Group going all-in on electrification in an attempt to become the market leader globally. Audi finds itself at the vanguard of that transition.

This line in the sand means every single model line in Audi’s portfolio will go fully electric without exception. That’s not to say they will disappear completely, with familiar replacements to launch sans combustion, akin to the Audi A6 e-tron concept revealed at the Shanghai Auto Show earlier this year (pictured).

Audi’s commitment to a full EV model pipeline by 2026 isn’t without challenges, namely the difficulties in securing a steady supply of lithium-ion batteries, which while getting cheaper, can be hard to source. Battery shortages have already forced Audi to scale back production for the e-tron SUV last year.

Enter Porsche, which announced late last-month that it is setting up a joint venture with German company Customcells to produce new high-performance batteries that utilise cells with silicon anodes for reduced charging times. The partnership will result in a new factory that will be able to produce batteries for 1000 cars a year. With the Taycan and RS e-tron GT sharing the same platform and battery it’s likely any new technology developed in the joint venture would flow thereafter into Ingolstadt’s products.

Production of 1000 batteries a year won’t completely solve the potential for shortages – Audi built nearly 1.7 million vehicles in a heavily disrupted 2020 – it speaks to the Volkswagen Group’s investment in building their own infrastructure instead of relying on suppliers. For Audi at least, these are the final days of petrol-powered performance.

ABOVE If you thought ditching combustion engines altogether would prompt Audi to stop designing massive grilles, think again.