Audi Will Keep Making Engines After All
Audi is no longer committed to a fixed end date for its internal combustion engine programs—a welcome revision to a plan that aimed for the automaker to release its final combustion vehicles this year and transition to an EV-only lineup starting in 2026.
Key Points
- Audi has walked back its previous commitment to end ICE production by 2033, with CEO Gernot Döllner confirming combustion models may continue until at least 2035, depending on market demand.
- Despite a 30% year-over-year increase in EV deliveries, Audi lags behind BMW and is adjusting its electrification timeline while still planning new EVs, including an entry-level model in the A3 segment.
- Recent ICE models like the Q3, A5, and A6 will remain in production into the next decade, as Audi—like Mercedes—adopts a more flexible, demand-driven approach to its EV transition.
As the brand approaches the three-year mark since making that promise, its leadership has walked back from the timeline.
Speaking to Autocar, Audi's CEO Gernot Döllner confirmed the automaker now expects to produce ICE vehicles “for another seven, eight, maybe 10 years,” indicating combustion engine development will continue until at least 2035. Döllner emphasized that any phase-out will be dictated by market demand rather than internal deadlines. “We have already decided to extend the production beyond the communicated end dates of the past.”
Audi hasn't communicated what it will do if the European Union remains firm with its plan to ban the sales of new combustion-engine cars starting in 2035. The company could stop producing ICE models entirely or continue to build them for markets outside of EU jurisdiction.
Audi is not backing away from EV development; the brand still plans to introduce a lower-cost electric model in the A3 segment next year. Recent model launches, including the new Q3 and upcoming A5 and A6 revisions, will remain ICE-based for now and are expected to stay in production into the next decade.
Like other German automakers, Audi has been forced to recalibrate its electrification roadmap in response to market conditions, charging infrastructure challenges, and uneven global EV adoption. Despite strong EV growth in early 2025—up 30.1% year-over-year with 46,371 electric units delivered—Audi trails BMW’s 86,449 EVs in the same period. It did, however, narrowly edge out Mercedes-Benz, which recorded 40,706 electric deliveries.
Mercedes-Benz has also walked back its earlier ambition to go EV-only in certain European markets by 2030, while BMW, in contrast, never set a phase-out target, citing the need to accommodate diverse market conditions and the uneven pace of global charging infrastructure development.
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An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, been over the wall during the Rolex 24, and worked in the intense world of IndyCar.
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