Audi Hybrids Are Coming in Months, Not Years. A Plug-In Q5 Could Be Back
The Drive ·
Audi of America Senior VP of Product Management Filip Brabec told The Drive why plug-ins need 40 miles of electric range and won't be everywhere. The post Audi Hybrids Are Coming in Months, Not Years. A Plug-In Q5 Could Be Back appeared first on The Drive .
Audi was early on the EV game with its e-tron and full plans to shift its portfolio to electric models, but then the U.S. political winds changed. Suddenly, the German automaker got caught flat footed with no product pipeline featuring non-performance hybrids. That’s about to change real quick.
On the latest episode of The Drivecast , Audi of America Senior Vice President of Product Management Filip Brabec exclusively told The Drive , “You will see some choices in the plug-in hybrid beyond the RS” when asked if plug-in hybrids beyond RS models, such as the new RS5 and upcoming RS6 Avant , will be coming to America.
Listen below from the moment Brabec addresses hybrids in the lineup and what we can expect both in terms of types and electric-only range.
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“You can imagine that, you know, a natural one for us would be Q5 because we already had a predecessor with that powertrain. It was a successful variant, so it’s something that we definitely see a potential for in the future,” Brabec said.
As for other models beyond the Q5 getting hybrid powertrains, Brabec said, “And perhaps there are more SUVs that we can look at with, with plug-in powertrains. And then beyond that, of course, we will continue to look at mild and, you know, mild hybridization and hybridization throughout the car lines.”
For consumers, and surely dealers, asking when we’ll see hybrids start to proliferate through Audi’s lineup, Brabec said, “Again, no specific announcements today, but, you know, starting fairly soon, in a matter of months, not years, we will be introducing certain electrification steps in our powertrains, um, you know, in general.”
For plug-in hybrids Brabec said, “Now the technology has moved forward and we see kind of the bare minimum being 40. So, like, as long as you can hit 40 miles and more miles of electric range, you’re gonna get some people.”
But that’s just for today. “We see that technology moving to that and beyond that as well, and we’re confident we can get to those numbers with the upcoming launches and beyond,” Brabec said.
Dealers, and consumers, should not expect the entire Audi lineup to suddenly offer a hybrid powertrain. Brabec said, “You asked me specifically about portfolio, and I think in the portfolio, it’s a, you know, handful of cars kind of, kind of scenario. It’s not a scenario where plugins would just be proliferated throughout the car line. From our standpoint, that’s not something we’re focusing on. There may be a handful that might make sense in this specific segment.”
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The post Audi Hybrids Are Coming in Months, Not Years. A Plug-In Q5 Could Be Back appeared first on The Drive .