Audi Plans to Convert All Factories to Produce EVs and Confirms Q6 e-tron for 2023
The Q6 e-tron is coming and an A4 and A5 EV may not be far behind as Audi plans to stop production of all combustion models by 2033.
Audi has built some truly fantastic internal combustion cars over the years. However, those days are coming to an end. In roughly ten years from now the only new Audi you will be able to buy will be an electrified one. In a recent press release Audi confirmed that not only is the Q6 e-tron coming in 2023 but an A4 and A5 EV may not be far behind. Also, the company plans to launch only all-electric models by 2026. Audi is working on converting all factories to manufacturer EVs. And by the year 2033 the company looks to reduce factory costs by half.
There is a lot to unpack here. But it is safe to say that if you are a die-hard Audi fan that would never consider buying an EV you need to either change your attitude or look at another brand. Audi does not seem to be wavering in their commitment to become an all-electric vehicle manufacturer. By the end of the decade, Audi will be making electric-drive models at all of its production sites worldwide. “Step by step, we are bringing all our sites into the future,” says Audi Board Member for Production and Logistics Gerd Walker. “We don’t want any standalone lighthouse projects on greenfield sites. Instead, we are investing in our existing plants, so they end up being just as efficient and flexible as newly built production sites or greenfield plants.”
Q6 e-tron
In this press release Audi not only confirmed the existence of a Q6 e-tron but also where it will be built. “Starting next year, the Audi Q6 e-tron will be the first all-electric model to roll off the production line in Ingolstadt. And production of all-electric cars will gradually start in Neckarsulm, San José Chiapa, and Győr as well.” We don’t yet have all the details around the Q6 e-tron, but we know it will share the Premium Platform Electric platform with the upcoming Porsche Macan EV. Power figures and range should be confirmed in the next couple of months.
A4 and A5
The current A4 and A5 models are also produced in Ingolstadt. In the press release Audi went on to say that the Q6 e-tron will be made on the same line as the A4 and A5. And then electric models will gradually replace the combustion cars on this line. That leads us to believe that an all-electric A4 and A5 is also coming in the near future. Which makes sense as Audi is doing away with all combustion vehicles.
Factory Transformation
Not only does Audi plan to convert all factories to produce EVs, but they also want these factories to be much more efficient. Their goal is to cut annual factory costs in half by 2033. They plan to do this by reducing the complexity of their vehicles. Additionally, Audi will continue to digitalize production. “This will make it possible to replace expensive industrial PCs, reducing IT efforts such as software rollouts and operating system changes. In the future, Audi will also be using another new solution – cycle-independent modular assembly – to simplify work with high product variability. Virtual assembly planning saves material resources and makes innovative, flexible collaboration possible across locations.” Audi is going to be a very different company by the next decade.
Images: Audi
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