Jul 27, 2016
Audi is gearing up to take on Tesla by launching three electric car models by 2020.
As Reuters reports, Audi chief Rupert Stadler reportedly told German paper Heilbronner Stimme that he expects EVs to account for 25 to 30 percent of the company's sales by 2025.
This focus on electric car development is part of a "strategic overhaul," prompted by parent-company Volkswagen's ongoing emissions scandal, Reuters says. Audi also intends to funnel more resources into the development of digital services and autonomous driving technologies.
So what, exactly, is Audi working on? Mini-style electric vehicles, for starters, along with something Stadler called a "robot car."
The robot vehicle "may not even need a steering wheel or pedals, so it's ideal for urban traffic," Stadler said, according to Reuters. The company intends to establish a new subsidiary, dubbed SDS Company, to develop the autonomous car.
Audi has also considered dropping the two-door version of the A3 to free up some money for new models. And while Sadler called fuel cell cars a "must," the company's technical development head, Stefan Knirsch, said production of one would not start before 2020 due to the current shortage of charging stations.
Meanwhile on the Audi EV front, one model said to be in the works is an SUV. Audi last year teamed up with Samsung and LG to produce electric car batteries, which the company plans to use in a new SUV with a potential 300-mile range.
Source: PCMag India