Audi Sees Hybrids As A Bridge To Electric Vehicles

If you were to ask Audi how long it will take electric vehicles to become mainstream, they would say about ten years.

Why is that? Audi sees hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles as a bridge for technologies that will improve electric vehicles.

“Hybrid and plug-in hybrids are a transitional and bridge technology for about the next ten years. In parallel we will offer various battery-electric models in different volume series models until 2025,” said Audi CEO Rupert Stadler to Autocar.

Audi is hard at work on their first electric SUV, the Q6 e-tron that will launch in 2018. The model is expected to have a range of 310 Miles and start being built at a new factory in Belgium. This will join alongside the A3 Sportback e-tron EV.

Along with the A3 e-tron, Audi offers a hybrid version of the Q5 and has recently launched the Q7 e-tron hybrid in Europe. The Q7 e-tron pairs a 3.0L TDI V6 with a plug-in hybrid system. Audi is also planning to launch a mild hybrid of the next-generation A8 due sometime next year.