The new range of electric cars developed by Audi in China, for the Chinese market, it will not have the logo with four rings, said two people with direct information about the company’s plans, Reuters reports, cited by news.ro.
The decision of the German flagship brand by Volkswagen is related to “brand image“, said one of the people. It also reflects the use of automotive architecture developed in collaboration with Chinese partner SAIC and greater reliance on local suppliers and technologies.
Reuters could not find out if the new range will have a different logo, with the name “Violet” on the interior of the company, or if the Audi name will be on the vehicles.
A concept car for the range will be revealed in November, when Audi will also explain the “brand story of the range”, the two said.
A third person briefed on the matter said nine models are planned by 2030.
The sources declined to be identified because the automaker has not disclosed the plans.
Audi declined to comment on what it called speculation. SAIC said in a statement to Reuters that the electric vehicles will be “genuine Audi, with authentic Audi DNA”.
Chinese carmakers are gaining a growing share of their home market – the world’s largest – with high-tech electric vehicles.
This has led to a decline in sales for foreign automakers, many of which rely heavily on gasoline-powered models, prompting them to form new partnerships.
Audi and SAIC, a longtime VW partner, said in May that they would develop an electric vehicle platform for the Chinese market.
Developing cars specifically for China allows foreign automakers to experience the latest electric vehicle features and Chinese flavors while targeting a large customer base.
Automakers such as Audi and VW are likely to do more research before adapting these models for other markets, said Yale Zhang, managing director at Shanghai-based consultancy Automotive Foresight.
Audi sold less than 10,000 electric vehicles in China in the first six months of 2024. In comparison, top Chinese electric vehicle brands Nio and Zeekr sold eight times more.
Audi’s new EV series will use a CATL battery and an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) from Chinese tech startup Momenta, said the two with direct knowledge of the plans.
The electric architecture of the IM Motors SAIC brand will be used in the “Violet” series, they said.
VW has also tried to take advantage of China’s expertise in electric vehicles. An agreement was reached with Xpeng this year, whereby all locally produced VW electric vehicles will use the architecture developed in collaboration with the Chinese company.
Audi electric vehicles currently sold in China will continue to feature the four interlocking rings logo. These are the e-tron Q4 made by partner FAW, the Q5 e-tron SUV made by SAIC and the e-tron Q6 made by FAW, which will be launched in later this year.
The Q6 e-tron is the first Audi car to use VW’s advanced electric platform (PPE) and will use Huawei-supplied ADAS, sources said.
2024-08-04 13:35:38
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