“We first looked at what order and density of launches the organization could handle,” new Chief Executive Officer Gernot Döllner told Bloomberg. “In the end, we decided to spread it out to not overwhelm the team and the dealerships.”
Audi had planned 20 new models by 2026, 10 of which were EVs. Now it will focus on new internal combustion and plug-in hybrid models, with some electric ones in there, but the timing will be flexible as to when that will happen.
Of course, Audi needs to release new vehicles quickly, as its lineup is “growing stale” while rivals Mercedes and BMW prep their next-gen EVs in the coming years, writes Bloomberg.
Audi is waiting on the completion of the PPE platform, which is a new advanced chassis for EVs that has been delayed because of software problems from VW’s in-house software unit Cariad. The upcoming Q6 e-tron was supposed to kick off a handful of EVs from the brand, but that is being put on hold, although it should roll off the line next year, according to the report.
It’s been a rough few months for Audi, with Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume saying in June that the brand has fallen short of its potential. Döllner took the helm that same month after working with Blume at Porsche in the hopes that he could boost operating return to 13% from 9%.
Source: Bloomberg
