The three largest companies producing premium cars in Europe – Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz – have chosen to present the commercial results for 2022 on the same day. Thus, while the BMW brand, part of the group with the same name, traded last year worldwide 2,100,692 cars, down 5.1% from 2021, and Mercedes-Benz sold 2,043,900 units, Audi – the premium division of the Volkswagen Group – delivered only 1,614,231 vehicles.
So, in third place in the ranking of premium brands, Audi is a long way from its two direct competitors, but, like them, it is proud of the increase in sales of electric cars.
According to Audi officials, deliveries of all-electric cars increased in 2022 by 42.8% to 118,196 units. For comparison, BMW sold more than 200,000 such vehicles, and Mercedes-Benz 117,800 units (+ 124%).
“The strong figures for all-electric models show us that our clear focus on electric mobility is the right way forward,” believes Hildegard Wortmann, Board Member for Sales and Marketing at Audi AG.
The high demand for the all-electric Q4 e-tron, e-tron GT quattro and e-tron models confirms the company’s clear decision in favor of an all-electric future and has the gift of increasing Audi’s momentum on the path to becoming a premium mobility provider. In this context, a new electric model is about to reach its first customers – the new Q8 e-tron continues the success story of the Audi e-tron, the brand’s electric pioneer. According to brand officials, the Q8 e-tron has already received many pre-orders ahead of its spring 2023 market launch. Starting in 2026, Audi plans to launch only electric cars on the global market.
“In a challenging and dynamic environment our global team once again proved its resilience in 2022. Thanks to the extraordinary team spirit, operational excellence and effective sales control, we were able to end the year with successful business,” noted Hildegard Wortmann.
Along with the electric models, the well-known A3 (+12.1%), A4 (+8.0%) and Q5 (+2.7%) also saw large increases in the overall portfolio of the Audi brand.
“Even though we still face global economic challenges, we look to the future with confidence. That’s because we are entering 2023 and we will accelerate the transformation together with an attractive portfolio, a large number of orders and a highly motivated team,” Wortmann concluded.
