Audi does not want “the sale of our vehicles to fail due to a lack of charging stations” and is therefore thinking of its own charging infrastructure in large cities.
Audi is considering setting up its own charging stations for electric cars in large cities. CEO Markus Duesmann told the Handelsblatt : “We don’t want the sale of our vehicles to fail due to a lack of charging stations.” The public charging network is incomplete, a charging facility in every parking lot is a long way off: “We are checking whether we can set up our own premium charging infrastructure in large cities.”
The joint venture Ionity, in which Audi, Porsche, VW, BMW, Daimler, Ford and Hyundai have joined forces, has now set up around 300 fast charging stations at motorway service stations and rest areas. “What is still missing is such a system in cities,” said Duesmann. “The next step for us would be to establish such a network in metropolises as well.”
According to Handelsblatt , Audi wants to set up 200 to 300 fast charging points for a good billion euros. Group sister Porsche could participate in the exclusive network. An Audi spokesman said own charging stations were one of several options that the VW group is currently examining intensively. The options also included stations in large cities with Ionity or with other partners.
Duesmann reckons that the last Audi with a combustion engine will be sold “sometime in the 1930s”. But “that will be decided by the customers”. After the battery cars Audi e-tron (test) , e-tron S, e-tron Sportback, e-tron S Sportback and the Q2 L e-tron, which is only sold in China, the company will introduce the battery-electric sports car e-tron GT tomorrow, Tuesday in front.
In the middle of the decade a third of Audis with electric drive
The next generation of the mid-range A4 and A6 models will come with a combustion engine, said Duesmann. In the middle of the decade, Audi wanted to sell a third of its cars with electric drives in Europe. Hybrid cars with internal combustion and electric motors are only a transition technology. “But because there will soon be very attractive electric cars, it makes sense to concentrate on purely battery- powered vehicles , ” said Duesmann.
