Long Goodbye: Audi Stopping Internal Combustion Development
While traditional gas and diesel power plants won’t disappear just yet, R&D on new versions is done.
It’s official. According to board chairman Markus Duesmann, Audi has stopped the development of new internal combustion engines.
Details come from our friends across the Pond at Automobilwoche, and as you might have imagined, regulatory pressure is behind the move. Here are the relevant bits of Duesmann’s statement about the news, via Google translate:
The EU plans for an even stricter Euro 7 emissions standard are a huge technical challenge and at the same time have little benefit for the environment. That extremely restricts the combustion engine, said Duesmann. We will no longer develop a new internal combustion engine, but will adapt our existing internal combustion engines to new emission guidelines.
That doesn’t mean that every vehicle wearing the four-rings will be a green machine just yet. But it does mean fans shouldn’t expect to see new versions of the RS6 Avant’s twin-turbo V8, or the glorious 5.2-liter V10 which powers the R8.
For anyone who’s been paying attention, this move shouldn’t comes as a huge surprise, as over the past few months, there’s been a groundswell of news about manufacturers pivoting toward electric vehicles. Last month, Jaguar Land Rover announced that it will be an all-electric brand by 2025, and back in January, General Motors said it will stop production of internal combustion vehicles by 2035.
The green shift is playing out in other ways too, as it’s rumored Mercedes-Benz will equip its next-gen C63 AMG with an electrically assisted 2.0-liter turbo engine, as opposed to the ferocious V8 fans have come to expect. For what it’s worth, BMW took a break from defending the grille of the latest 4-Series Coupe to insist it’ll boldly forge into the last century by continuing ICE development.
Fortunately, given the performance of green machines like the RS e-tron GT, it’s clear Audi isn’t taking a kinder, gentler approach driving thrills. And enthusiasts should be excited, because automakers have barely scratched the surface when it comes to the potential of electric drivetrains. That said, given the incredible amount of torque electric motors can produce, and the fact that all the twist is available from zero RPM, companies like Pirelli, Michelin, and Continental are working overtime to develop compounds that’ll combine drag-tire stickiness with reasonable treadwear ratings. That’s going to be key technology here, and it’ll be neat to see what the tire giants come up to put the power to the ground.
But as exciting as the future might be, I have to admit there’s something sad in knowing that the R8’s monster V10 is the last of its kind. Turn up your speakers and enjoy.
Photos: Audi