As of: March 14, 2024, 4:30 p.m
By: Sebastian Oppenheimer
Comments
Press
Split
There is currently a crisis with electric cars: many dealers fear “poor” order intake in 2024.
However, Audi is sticking to its electric offensive.
After years on the rise, electromobility – at least in Germany – is currently experiencing a downward trend.
In December 2023, support for electric vehicles through the environmental bonus was surprisingly stopped.
As a result, sales figures for electric cars fell in January and February.
The car dealers' forecast for incoming electric car orders for 2024 as a whole also doesn't look rosy: 91 percent expect “poor” or “very bad” incoming orders.
Recently there have even been signs that the combustion engine phase-out planned for 2035 could be shaky.
At Audi, however, they are still committed to a purely electric future.
The new WhatsApp channel from 24auto.de is here!
Current news, useful tips & tricks as well as strange stories from the internet about cars can be found on our Whatsapp channel: Click here to go directly to
Automania
.
“Don’t be unsettled”: Audi boss continues to rely on electric cars
“We must not allow ourselves to be unsettled by the discussions that are currently taking place,” explained Audi boss Gernot Döllner in an interview with the
FAZ.
“The future of the car is clearly electric!” The current debate is primarily German and partly North American.
Audi is probably planning the last major world premieres of new model series with conventional drives for 2026 - their production should then end by 2033.
Audi boss Gernot Döllner emphasized in an interview that the future of cars is electric.
(Archive image) © Martin Schutt/dpa
You can find even more exciting car topics in the free newsletter from our partner 24auto.de
Mercedes is letting some combustion engine series run longer than planned
Statements from the Audi boss are particularly interesting in light of some statements made by Mercedes boss Ola Källenius: He had recently been self-critical with regard to the slump in sales of electric cars and the abrupt end of funding: “Perhaps there was a lot of that There is a bit too much optimism in the industry, now there is more realism,” he explained in an interview with Die
Zeit.
Actually, Mercedes' plan was to only offer electric vehicles by 2030, "wherever market conditions permit" - but they are obviously moving away from that.
Some Mercedes combustion engine series are to be produced for longer than originally planned.
Many e-car start-ups are stumbling or have already failed
In the meantime, many electric car start-ups have also failed or stumbled: In the 2010s, many newcomers tried to repeat the success of Tesla.
But getting an electric car ready for the market is not easy - even Apple has now apparently completely stopped its secret electric car project.
Above all, establishing a new brand is difficult.