Audi's Vorsprung 2030 - Combustion engines must die by 2033, only BEVs starting 2026

Audi has begun the first of its many steps to cut all ties with dirty internal combustion engines (ICE). Ahead of the 2021 Munich International Auto Show (IAA, Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung), Audi announced its mid-term Vorsprung 2030 strategy for the decade.

Production of Audi’s last new combustion engine model will begin by 2025 but even by then, Audi will have more than more than 20 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) models on sale.

One year after that, all new Audi models released in 2026 or after will be BEVs

Production of all combustion engine Audi cars will end for good by 2033, thus closing a chapter for Audi TFSI engines and DSG transmissions.

Markus Duesmann, CEO and Board of Management Member for Product Lines at Audi AG told the assembled media in a virtual conference yesterday, “In just twelve years’ time, Audi will be completely electric – an ambitious goal that makes us the industry pioneer. By pursuing such a decisive and robust roadmap, Audi’s transformation is rapidly overtaking the planned legal regulations. We are more than ready.”

Deusmann explained that setting a clear deadline to phase out combustion engines, while unsettling to some, is necessary. “Setting a clear course early on with a specific ICE phase-out date means the transformation is ready to take off,” he explained.

“Enabling carbon-neutral mobility is one of the defining issues of our time and one that every OEM must answer for themselves. We act on what we believe to be true: that a sustainable business model is key in preparing for a successful future,” he added.

However, he assured fans that the last combustion engine-model Audi will be best ever, a fitting swan song to bid farewell to the glorious decades that defined Audi’s Vorspuring durch Technik tagline, which is one of the most iconic in the automotive world.

“The combustion engine business will remain an important earnings driver this decade. And I can promise that the last generation of ICE models will be the very best yet, offering the most dynamic and efficient engines on the market,” said Duesmann.

Audi’s chief strategist Silja Pieh said Vorsprung durch Technik has defined Audi’s DNA for 50 years, and that won’t change in the EV era.

Instead of images of an Audi Quattro attacking rally stages, John Newman, head of digitalization explained that the new Vorsprung seeks to differentiate Audi’s all-electric vehicles from the competition through quality and design.

The new Vorsprung also seeks to create a seamless ecosystem for electric and autonomous driving. As a result of the changes, Audi will be in closer and more frequent contact with their customers in the future, with new digital and physical offerings.

Explaining how Vorsprung durch Technik will evolve, Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development said, “In the age of new mobility, we not only define “Vorsprung” as world-class engineering, state-of-the-art design, and a captivating digital experience. We don’t just think in terms of vehicles. In the future, the focus will increasingly be on holistic mobility solutions, including the surrounding infrastructure.”

As a company that’s heavily dependent on raising capital from investors, Audi needs to adapt with the new requirement of the investment world, where environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is one of the many criteria for an investments to be approved.

Audi’s chief strategist Silja Pieh said Audi will also more closely align business success with sustainable activities on the basis of ESG criteria. These criteria include climate change mitigation and the protection of finite resources, occupational health and safety, social responsibility, and corporate governance practices related to compliance and risk management.

Pieh points out that the strategy process isn’t finished, but is instead an ongoing development process: “The world and especially the transportation sector are rapidly evolving. We will respond to changes even more quickly and with greater flexibility in the future.”

The 2021 IAA Munich motor show will open on 7-September. In the past, Frankfurt has been a regular host to the bi-annual IAA, taking turns with Paris. It used to be the world’s biggest motor show but the past few events have seen considerable drop in participation and visitors count.

Many manufacturers have since pulled out of costly motor shows and look to cheaper, more focused alternative avenues to debut their new products.

Super-luxury marques for example, find events like the Pebble Beach Concourse to deliver better results, thanks to its more focused, elite and wealthy visitors.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK also offers manufacturers to showcase their products in a more dynamic manner, as opposed to a static motor show exhibit.

In 2019, the city of Frankfurt declined to renew its contract to host the IAA, and the show’s venue was moved to Munich.