- Audi's newest concept has a familiar name—the Audi E—but a very different vibe.
- This electric wagon is aimed at winning back sales in the Chinese market.
- It's a joint venture with China's SAIC and not only boasts specs on par with a class-leading Chinese EV, but is aimed directly at those consumers.
It's no secret that the Volkswagen Group has not had an amazing time in 2024. It's struggled with slumping sales in China, once its biggest market, while it faces intense Chinese competition back home. It's staring down factory closures and layoffs as costs mount. All the while, China's electric auto industry is powering forward while other parts of the world enter "wait and see" mode.
But today in Shanghai, Audi showed that it's not taking this situation lying down. Meet its latest concept and brand: the Audi E Concept, from AUDI. Yes, all-caps "to signal both the connection to and differentiation from the sister brand," which in this case would simply be Audi. While that's certainly an odd branding decision that kind of reminds me of that old Marc Jacobs meme, the concept itself looks great, the specs are impressive and its mission is extremely clear: get right in China before it's too late.
“By launching this new brand for electric and intelligent models in China, Audi is breaking new ground to tap into new and more tech-savvy customer segments," Audi's global CEO, Gernot Döllner, said in a news release. "The upcoming models are aimed at a promising and simultaneously demanding new customer segment. The cooperation will further expand the Audi portfolio of battery electric vehicles in China and accelerate the company’s transformation in the world’s largest market.”
What is clear is that this electric concept is by China and for Chinese buyers. That's because appealing to that group has become a persistent problem for the Western automakers who once thought the world's largest car market would be a kind of permanent cash cow. Lately, that hasn't been the case. Homegrown Chinese automakers have not only dramatically advanced in EV and battery tech, but they also know how to appeal to the very particular tastes and likes of Chinese car owners: no buttons, lots of interior lighting, big screens, tons of connected tech and convenience features and more.
It's no wonder then that Audi partnered with China's SAIC for this one, which also includes an entirely new electric platform called the Advanced Digitized Platform. That should spawn at least three new full-size and midsize EVs, all getting to market 30% faster to match the lightning speed of China's other automakers.
"The new joint program offers the best of two worlds in automotive development. It combines the strengths of Audi with SAIC’s innovation speed," the automaker said in a news release. "Audi brings know-how in premium products and design, overall vehicle development, and engineering to the table. SAIC offers fast innovations, a well-established technology ecosystem, and deep insight into the local market’s demands."
And the Audi E Concept is on the full-size side of things. It's a little longer than an Audi Q6 E-Tron crossover, about as wide and lower and sleeker overall. The grille is a radical departure from anything Audi's done in the past, ditching the iconic four-ring logo for the name in all-caps. (I'd also argue it looks a bit more interesting than Audi's current, overly fussy design language.)
The specs are where it really shines. The concept car has a 100 kWh battery and dual-motor all-wheel-drive estimated at 700 km (435 miles) of electric range on China's generous CLTC testing cycle. It has an 800-volt architecture and can supposedly add a staggering 230 miles of range in 10 minutes. It's quick, too, with 764 horsepower and a zero to 60 mph time of 3.6 seconds.
On the inside, drivers and passengers get a "pillar-to-pillar" 4K curved display, digital mirrors, very few buttons and an "AUDI OS" software setup with facial recognition, an AI virtual assistant and other customizable tech features. In short, it feels like something from Xiaomi or Nio, but from Audi.
And that's exactly the point. This is why Audi wanted to team up with SAIC in the first place. While it's still ramping up modern EVs for customers in the U.S. and Europe, to compete in China, it needs to play the same game those competitors are playing right now. I remember a time when a China-specific model would mean cringey dragon graphics and things like that; now, the automakers are catching up after getting leapfrogged on technology.
Will these Audi E models make their way to Europe and the U.S.? Given the current backlash with tariffs and crackdowns on software, I find the latter especially unlikely. But I wish Audi would find some way to get this tech to trickle down elsewhere, because it definitely seems to be in a different league.
Gallery: AUDI E Concept
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
