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Audi to Kill Combustion Powered Cars; Last One Will Be Made in 2026

The company that gave us one of the craziest diesel engines ever made, the infamous V12 TDI, as well as some of the best sounding V8s in its RS cars, Audi, has just announced that it is five years away from giving up on the internal combustion engine (ICE) for good.
Audi R8 V10 RWD Coupe 10 photos
Photo: Audi
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Quoted by Reuters, Germany’s Suedeutsche Zeitung reports that the Ingolstadt car brand will stop introducing new gas- and diesel-powered vehicles from 2026 onward. And it is not pure speculation, as they have cited the comments made to top managers and labor representatives by the Audi CEO, Markus Duesmann.

If you think that Audi will go down the part-electrified route in their performance models at least, similar to the upcoming Mercedes-AMG C 63 hybrid, then you are wrong, because the decision includes mild, hybrid and plug-in hybrid units too. In a few years' time after 2026, those buying a new Audi will get an electric powertrain, whether they like it or not.

How would this affect Audi’s current lineup, from the A1 to the Q8 and R8? Will some of them bite the dust altogether, or will they simply embrace their zero-emission side? That’s for the four-ring brand’s representatives to answer. We already reached out to them and will be updating this story, or perhaps write a new one, depending on what they have to say, when or if we hear back from them.

Back in March, Audi has confirmed that they will stop the development of the next generation combustion engines. Meanwhile, BMW and Mercedes are more conservative when it comes to vehicles powered by dead dinosaurs. Mercedes, for one, expects to still make them for the better part of the next decade too, whereas BMW will probably offer them for as long as they are legally allowed to do so.
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Editor's note: Audi has replied, saying that they "do not comment on speculation about future project or planning".

About the author: Cristian Gnaticov
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After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s.
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