Audi released its new budget that goes through 2025 and announced that it is accelerating its electric vehicle investments to $12 billion.
The Volkswagen group as a whole has been accelerating its investments into electrification, but Audi has been leading the way in some regards.
With the e-tron electric SUV, Audi was the first Volkswagen brand to release a next-generation electric vehicle.
Now the four-ring brand is increasing its investment in electrification with €10 billion ($12 billion USD) in spending going through 2025:
“On the basis of the investment planning, upfront expenditure in the years 2021 to 2025 focuses on the uncompromising implementation of Roadmap E, with a large-scale product offensive for fully and partly electric models. For electrification alone, a sum of approximately € 15 billion – more than 40 percent of the total expenditure – is foreseen in the context of the planning round. Specifically, some € 10 billion is to be devoted to electromobility and € 5 billion to hybridization. By 2025 AUDI AG will expand its e-portfolio to about 30 models, of which approximately 20 will be powered entirely by electric batteries.”
Previously, the automaker was planning $12 billion in investments in overall electrification – now it sounds like $12 billion will go to electric vehicles alone and €5 billion ($6 billion USD) to hybrids.
Audi has several new all-electric vehicles coming in the next few years, including the Audi Q4 e-tron electric SUV and the Audi e-tron GT.
Electrek’s Take
The amount being invested over just 4 years is impressive, especially considering that Audi benefits from cross-investments with VW and other Volkswagen brands, like its new EV platform co-developed with Porsche.
However, I’m also impressed by how much they are investing in hybrids – and by that, I mean that I’m impressed that they would waste so much money on them.
I feel that with all the great all-electric vehicles they are coming up with, people will not be interested in their hybrids, which I’ve always seen as a compromise type of powertrain meant to help with the transition to all-electric vehicles.
If I was Audi, I’d put that $6 billion in all-electric vehicles too.
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Author: Fred Lambert
Source: Electrek
