MG could share parts with Audi in expanded EV push

SAIC Motor and Audi have agreed to partner on electric vehicle projects, which could see some MG parts being used in the German luxury brand’s new models.

Bloomberg [↗] reports Audi is seeking to use a platform from IM Motors, SAIC’s premium EV brand, as it’s under pressure to catch-up with the electric car market and improve sales – especially in China.

SAIC owns car brands, including MG and IM, with the upmarket IM LS7 electric SUV likely to launch in Australia by 2026 but rebadged as an MG.

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Currently, Audi only sells electric models in Australia – the E-Tron SUV (soon to be updated as the Q8 E-Tron) and E-Tron GT sports sedan. The Q4 E-Tron small SUV is also available overseas.

The Q6 E-Tron medium electric SUV will also debut soon after some delay on the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) – shared with the forthcoming A6 E-Tron and Porsche Macan EV – while the Volkswagen Group’s flagship Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) has been postponed to around 2030 due to software issues.

Audi’s parent, the Volkswagen Group, already partners with SAIC to manufacture traditional internal combustion engine vehicles in China.

Despite the luxury brand’s slow EV start, it aims to only launch pure-electric models globally from 2026 – aided by a new factory with the FAW Group in Changchun, China to only produce electric PPE-based models – leading up to an electric-only line-up by 2033.

Audi EVs in context

So far this year to the end of June, Audi has only sold a total of 231 EV models in Australia.

In contrast, BMW’s wider EV line-up has managed to register 993 examples, Mercedes-Benz at 859, and Genesis trails at 162 year-to-date.

However, these numbers are still tiny compared to market-leader Tesla, which has sold 25,577 EVs from just two near-identical models alone.

Tesla demonstrates carmakers, such as Audi, don’t necessarily need to release more electric models to attract buyers to make the switch.

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