Audi has told us about two forthcoming electric vehicles: an SUV that will be launched next year (above), followed by a smaller hatchback. But that?s just part of the brand?s plan to take over the plusher parts of the world with a wave of electric vehicles. Peter Mertens, Audi?s new development boss and the former head of R&D for Volvo, has confirmed that Audi wants to build a range of variants under its “e-tron” name that will effectively cover almost every part of the premium market.
As with BMW and Mercedes EVs, Audi’s electric models will be distinct from their combustion equivalents, meaning no shared sheetmetal. Mertens admitted that the e-tron branding on plug-in hybrid versions of both the A3 and (in Europe) the Q7 has mainly confused customers. In the future, hybrid models will be designated g-tron, and the “e” badge will be reserved for pure electric models. ?We?re going to have e-tron in every segment in the future,? Mertens told journalists earlier this month at the Formula E race in Berlin. ?By 2025, we?ll have a significant share. Up to one-third of all our vehicles will be electrified, including plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles.?
Mertens said he thinks the e-tron range eventually will shadow most of Audi’s existing model lineup, although without the same plethora of variants, from the A3 upward. Plug-in hybrids will be a large part of the mix, but they are seen as an interim solution, with faster charging ...