Audi to launch 10 new EVs in next three years; petrol A3 won’t live on

Audi is plotting an electric push, with at least 10 new battery-powered models slated by 2026.

“We are on the verge of the biggest product initiative in our history,” Audi CEO Markus Duesmann said at the carmaker's annual conference.

“By 2025, we will have launched around 20 new models, more than 10 of which will be all-electric. By 2027, we seek to offer an all-electric vehicle in each core segment.”

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Audi Q6 e-tron

Audi’s electric offensive will be spearheaded by the forthcoming Audi Q6 E-Tron medium SUV, which will be the first model to debut Audi-Porsche’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) and offer more than 600 kilometres of claimed driving range.

However, Audi’s small A3 hatch and sedan won’t live on with petrol power, with the entry-level A1 already facing the axe due to looming Euro 7 emissions regulations, according to Automotive News Europe.

Hoffman confirmed to Autocar a new A3-sized EV will launch by 2027 to sit under the current Q4 E-Tron small SUV sold overseas, and could be based on the Volkswagen Group’s unified Scalable Systems Platform (PPE).

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Audi Q4 e-tron

This could also hint at a potential hot electric RS3 at some point, as the Volkswagen ID.3 small car is set to gain a higher-performance GTX variant soon.

Markus also told Auto Bild that EV models will be badged with even numbers and the ‘E-Tron’ designation will stay, while other combustion engine-powered models will be in odd numbers.

This means the current petrol-powered Audi A4 and A6 sedans will eventually become A5 and A7 when they’re updated within the next three years (and A4 and A6 being electric-only), with chief technology officer Oliver Hoffmann telling the German publication: “The best combustion engines are yet to come.”

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Audi A6 Avant e-tron

However, the premium brand is committed to phasing out petrol and diesel engine cars by 2033 ahead of the 2035 new car sales ban in Europe.

In Australia, Audi will launch the updated Q8 E-Tron large SUV later this year to join the E-Tron GT sports sedan.

However, the BMW iX1-rivalling Q4 E-Tron small crossover still isn’t coming Down Under until at least 2024, despite being sold in Europe since 2021.