Electric revolution

Although Audi’s first series production, fully electric vehicle is still some months away from international launch, plans are well advanced for a major product push that will see fully-electric (EV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) accounting for 800,000 sales in the year 2025.

The plan – part of the ‘Audi. Vorsprung. 2025’ strategy – will mean that EV vehicles will be available in every one of Audi's model series, a fact that the brand feels will see up to 30 percent of its customers opt for a fully-electric or a PHEV model. 

“Our ambition has always been and will continue to be Vorsprung durch Technik,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. 

“Our goal is to revolutionise mobility. Also in electric mobility, we want to become the Number One among the premium manufacturers – with full suitability for everyday use, no compromises, top quality and driving pleasure for the customer. With our technological excellence, we are utilising our Vorsprung and lifting electric mobility to the next level.”

The product offensive will start with the production version of the Audi e-tron prototype due for international launch this coming August and then continue next year with the Audi e-tron Sportback and the Audi e-tron GT following from Audi Sport in 2020.

Audi also has advanced plans for an electric model in the premium compact segment in 2020 – indeed, the overarching plan will see more than 20 electric models launched onto the market between now and 2025. Audi and Porsche are working together to implement the architecture electrification for mid-range, full-size and luxury-class electric cars, resulting in a significant reduction in the development costs.

Of course infrastructure to support the new wave of electric vehicles is well advanced in Europe, with Audi contributing significantly to the ongoing development of high-performance charging infrastructure through the IONITY joint venture.

Announced early last year, the venture sees Audi join forces with BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and the Volkswagen Group Porsche in a joint venture called IONITY to develop and implement a High-Power Charging (HPC) network for electric vehicles across Europe. By the end of 2018, this venture is set to have established more than 100 HPC stations, with that figure set to reach 400 HPC stations by 2020.

This will mean that the Audi e-tron, with its 400km+ range, will also have multiple rapid-charging stations from launch with up to 150 kilowatts at its disposal, giving the vehicle a long-distance capability charge in under 30 minutes of charging. 

But the evolving technology goes far further than electric propulsion. In the future, Audi customers will be offered a whole new world of possibilities in the area of vehicle upgrades after purchase. Consider for example, the opportunity to add new functions like driver assistance systems or infotainment functions via software upgrades after the vehicle is purchased.

This new area of business is not only designed to add even greater choice for Audi owners, but as a new revenue tream for the company, creating funds for even greater investment in future products.