All things that come to market after that point would be an electric vehicle.
If you enjoy the smell of gasoline from the benzene addition, then you’ll want to sit down. Reuters quotes German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung as saying that the end is near for the old internal combustion engine-powered Audi models. According to the report, Audi CEO Markus Duesmann told high-ranking officials and labor representatives that the last car with a gasoline/diesel engine would be released in 2026.
As if this wasn’t enough, 2026 will be the cutoff date to launch a new ICE. Every new Audi model will be completely electric, and all hybrids will be phased off in five years. The report does not mention any new models, but you can still buy an existing model with a gasoline or diesel engine for many years beyond 2026. Now, we are beginning to wonder which Audi model will be remembered as the last to make an actual engine noise. The A4 and A6 models can be ruled out as Ingolstadt-based Audi has already stated that the two will be EVs by 2030. This means that the last combustion-engined version will be available before 2026, since a 4-year life span would be too short. Audi also suggested that the A1 supermini might be on borrowed, implying it will not be renewed, since the VW Group already has the segment covered with the Polo and Fabia as well as the Ibiza. Multiple reports suggest that the TT and R8 sports cars could be transformed into EVs. This, if true would probably happen in the next few years.
We can’t help but wonder if the last Audi with cylinders will have the mechanically related A3. It seems that 2026 is the right time to release the next-generation model, as 2020 was the year of its current model. Even if this is true, logic suggests that it will be heavily electrified in order to comply with increasingly strict emission regulations. Audi could stop producing ICE cars before 2035, considering the average life span of a product at 6-7 years. For those with the means to afford the RS3, TT RS and R8 mighty engines like the 2.5-liter inline five and the naturally aspirated 5.2 liter V10 will still be available. The W12’s smooth, silky-smooth W12 could also be sung by the A8 Horch, which is expected to arrive soon.