The current holdback to the proper expansion of the EV industry are the high prices associated with manufacturing and material costs, especially for the battery packs and now we have a new carmaker that is stepping back on this front: Audi.
Reportedly, this fear has lead Audi to cancel two of their 'green' projects, despite clearly going ahead with at least one of them. The two cancelled projects are the all-electric A2 and the hybrid A1, with the former being cancelled specifically due to its extremely high expected price of €40,000 ($49,800). So, it looks like we’ll only be remembering the electric A2 only as a funky concept from the Geneva motor show, the white bubble-shaped Audi with those great wrap-around indicators and DRLs.
The other cancelled project is the wankel-powered A1 plug-in hybrid, a rather interesting proposition from Audi, usually a very serious manufacturer for people who very rarely smile. This hasn't dented their confidence in EVs completely, though, as the all-electric A3s are already undergoing real-world testing in the US and will defintely be a success when launched.
Story via greencarreports.com and carmagazine.co.uk
The other cancelled project is the wankel-powered A1 plug-in hybrid, a rather interesting proposition from Audi, usually a very serious manufacturer for people who very rarely smile. This hasn't dented their confidence in EVs completely, though, as the all-electric A3s are already undergoing real-world testing in the US and will defintely be a success when launched.
Story via greencarreports.com and carmagazine.co.uk