Audi is planning to launch a new, entry-level electric vehicle in 2027. It’ll slot below the Q4 E-Tron in the lineup, but company CEO Gernot Döllner was reluctant to dish out additional details about the upcoming model.
He told Autocar that the new EV would be a "wonderful, unique independent vehicle concept." It might ride on the MEB architecture, but Döllner admitted the company hadn’t decided which platform would underpin the car. We’ll likely learn about the EV’s battery size and chemistry, range, and power output at its debut.
Audi will accelerate the car’s development to meet its 2027 launch date. It and other automakers are increasingly wary of cheap Chinese EVs and are responding accordingly. In June last year, VW Group CEO Oliver Blume admitted Audi lagged behind its rivals due to software issues, saying it would speed up the luxury brand’s EV development.
The company will produce its entry-level EV in Ingolstadt, Germany, which could wear the A2/Q2 name. Audi has reserved even numbers for its EVs and odd ones for its combustion-powered cars. While Audi could produce a small sedan, the likelier product is a compact crossover with the Q nomenclature as consumers still flock to the high-riding models.
The Audi Q6 E-Tron debuted earlier this week, joining the portfolio's E-Tron GT, Q4 E-Tron, and Q8 E-Tron models. An entry-level EV would help flesh out the lineup, but it’s three years away from going on sale, and competition will only continue to increase. Audi might not even offer it in the US, and it could still be expensive. The 2024 Q4 E-Tron starts at $56,395 (the price includes the $1,195 destination charge).
