It would be hard to deny that the automotive industry is trending towards electric vehicles. But even as big brands introduce EVs, it’s hard to argue that they pose a serious threat to the internal combustion engine’s market share in the very near term.
Nevertheless, Audi is so convinced that EVs will take over, that it is planning to phase out internal combustion engines by 2035. Actually, the dates are still a little fuzzy, but the plans, Audi CEO Markus Duesmann told Germany’s WirtschaftsWoche, are coming.
Duesmann, who said that “protection of the environment and economic success go together well,” expects to have target dates ready to announce in the next few months. The plan will lay out which of the brand’s plants will switch from ICE to EV and when.
Also Read: EVs Outsell Gas-Powered Cars For First Time Ever In Norway
The company was previously put in charge of Volkswagen Group software development and along with Porsche is developing the group’s high-end EV platform. The automaker’s dedication to EVs comes in the wake of the 2015 Dieselgate scandal, in which it was discovered that its diesel engines were cheating emissions tests.
With more and more cities and countries vowing to ban internal combustion vehicles, though, betting on electric seems like a realistic decision. To Audi’s credit, its first production EV, the e-tron SUV, took the top spot in Norway’s sales charts in 2020.
Still, Audi is allowing for alternatives. Its phase out of ICE-powered vehicles will be dependent on the success of EVs and the plant switchovers will, of course, be contingent on sales.
The signs are good for electric and electrified vehicles. Audi already offers 17 plug-in hybrid models around the world and is working to release its next EV, the e-tron GT, by the end of this year.
