After a somewhat less than successful 2024, Audi’s looking to ramp up sales to meet its goals for 2025 by adding plug-in hybrid options to its lineup. According to its recent annual report, the Ingolstadt-based automaker registered 1.7 million deliveries globally in 2024, with 164,000 of those deliveries being electric vehicles. In North America alone, Audi shifted 241,000 vehicles, a 13-percent increase over the previous year, with 29,000 of those being EVs, or six-percent. Despite the large numbers, those sales figures fell short of the company’s goals for the year.
Unsurprisingly, those EV deliveries make up only around 10% of its total 2024 sales. Electric vehicles still remain slow sellers as lackadaisical charging structure and inconvenient charging times continue hindering their proliferation en masse. Automakers, like Audi, recognize this and realize that not everyone’s ready to make the leap to EVs. Thus, to make the transition easier, hybrids and their plug-in variants are stepping in to relieve concerns such as range anxiety and long charging times.
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Expect Over 20 New Models In Total Through This Year, Including PHEVs
Audi USA
Audi began rolling out its rejuvenated lineup in the second half of 2024, contributing to the company’s sales boost. The lineup overhaul is on schedule to carry on throughout 2025 with a total of 20 new models by the end of the year. Part of that plan is to include a greater variety of plug-in hybrid options.
Some speculate that Audi missing sales goals for 2024 can be attributed to the lower-than-expected demand for electric vehicles. Over the past several years, Audi put significant efforts towards its electrification initiatives. But despite beating a lot of other competitors to the punch, Audi’s EV sales aren’t where they wanted them to be.
“We have a clear vision of how we are redefining Vorsprung durch Technik. Our ongoing model initiative shows the direction Audi is taking. The year 2024 was part of a transitional phase as we move towards our new product portfolio. Global economic uncertainties and intensified competition also shaped the past year. Despite these challenges, we are convinced that we will achieve our long-term goals. With a clear product and technology road map, Audi is systematically rejuvenating its product portfolio with over 20 new models in 2024 and 2025. In 2025, we will continue our model initiative and renew key model families such as the Audi A7 and the Audi Q3. Customers can look forward to numerous new plug-in hybrids as well.”
– Gernot Döllner, Audi CEO
Audi
However, Döllner didn’t specify which models will receive the plug-in hybrid treatment first. But the ultimatum is to offer customers choice with what the brand calls, their « three-pronged approach. » This means giving buyers the option to choose either internal combustion, hybrid, or all-electric propulsion, rather than forcing buyers into full electrification.
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“With our three-pronged approach of electric cars, plug-in hybrids, and combustion-engine vehicles, we are positioned flexibly and robustly for the coming years and offer our customers a diverse range of premium vehicles, » Döllner continued.
Other automakers have also reworked their strategy to provide customers with similar options. The premise being that the models will all be largely the same, except for what sits under the hood and propels them. For example, if buyers are looking for a Q5 or Q7 crossover SUV, they’ll be offered the choice of either ICE, hybrid, or electric propulsion.
Currently, Audi sells only one plug-in hybrid model in the U.S.: the 2025
Q5 PHEV
. Because crossover SUVs remain the popular choice, we bet that Audi’s likely to give its comprehensive lineup of CUVs the PHEV treatment before its other models.
