Audi AG has just held its annual general meeting for 2019. At the executive and shareholder’s meeting Bram Schot, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG address the gathering, outlining the future vision for the company and its brands.
One of the key elements of his speech, Schot said that the company has been involved in too many projects for several years and many things it will no longer be a part of, or do less of. The company will focus more on key projects which involve in achieving “less complexity in new models, less complexity in our range as a whole”. He mentioned that they have discontinued over a third of their engine-transmission combinations and will further continue to evaluate their portfolio to be more relevant to customers.
At the meeting, Schot also confirmed that the next generation Audi TT 2+2 seat sports car will go all electric. He stated “…focusing also includes leaving things out. The Audi TT, for example. For two decades, we have had this young, emotive sports car in our product range: as a coupe and as a roadster. In a few years, we will replace the TT with a new emotive model in the same price range: with an electric car.” The next TT will use the Volkswagen ID.3’s MEB platform. Additionally, due to the success and popularity of the coupe-like roof models like at A5 and the A7, and the introduction of the Q8, the manufacturer will introduce a coupe version of the popular Q3 in July this year.
Schlot also mentioned that the company, in order to stay true to their vision, is evaluating whether the Audi R8, which is currently powered by a naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10 engine, could also follow the same path as the TT and go fully electric. Schot questioned should the next Audi R8 feature a combustion engine, and if doing that will fit the brand’s overall future vision.
Regarding their flagship luxury saloon, Schlot said that the next A8 will be developed with a new concept and “might well be all electric”. He said in his statement “In 2020, we will launch five electric cars. And we will make significant progress after that.” The fourth-generation D5 Audi A8 was just introduced in 2017, it will be some time before the flagship turns to electric power. Schot said that the company has not yet firmly decided the future concept of the A8 as yet, he said; “I can well imagine it. We are thinking about revolutionizing the top-end class with a completely new concept for the A8.
Schot said that the company expects half of their entire sales to be SUVs with a significant portion to feature electric drive by 2025. Audi will be introducing 20 all-electric models by 2025 and the first is the E-Tron electric crossover, with a coupe-like Sportback version scheduled for 2020. In the second half of next year, Audi will also introduce the final production version of the gorgeous E-Tron GT which is in its concept stage.
