Yahoo Autos Audi Will Stop Developing Internal Combustion Engines
Audi has an impressive slate of internal combustion engines on offer at the moment, including the 591-hp twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 you see above, powering the jaw-dropping RS 6 Avant super-wagon. And let's not forget the sonorous naturally aspirated V-10 in the mid-engine R8. But according to the CEO of the company, the automaker will not develop any new internal combustion engines, and will begin phasing out the current gasoline and diesel engines and replacing them with electric powertrains.
In an interview with German-language industry news outlet Automobilwoche, Audi CEO Marcus Duesmann confirmed the decision. "We will no longer develop a new internal combustion engine, but will adapt our existing internal combustion engines to new emission guidelines," Duesmann told the publication (as translated by Google).
Duesmann cited (and slighted) the increasing challenges of emissions regulations in the decision. "The EU plans for an even stricter Euro 7 emissions standard are a huge technical challenge and at the same time have little benefit for the environment," he said in the interview. "That extremely restricts the combustion engine."
As part of Volkswagen Group's large-scale pivot to electrification—partly undertaken as a result of the auto giant's diesel emissions cheating settlement—Audi aims to offer 20 EV models in the next 5 years. The E-Tron crossover and E-Tron GT sport sedan have already begun that push; an electric version of the Q4 small SUV will follow later this year. Previously, Duesmann confirmed that the A4 and A6 will become fully electric by 2030; generations that come out between now and that date will use adapted versions of current Audi engines.
As Motor1 reports, we can expect a few last-hurrah combustion models before Audi completes its pivot to electrification, including an ultra-luxury A8 "Horch" executive sedan using the automaker's legendary W-12 engine.
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