Automakers are gradually backing away from their ambitious plans to fully electrify their vehicle lines. More and more companies are recognizing that cars with internal combustion engines will remain on the market longer than expected.
The reason for this is a number of factors: insufficient charging infrastructure, high cost of electric vehicles, insufficient demand for them among consumers, and economic difficulties. In addition, some automakers believe that electric vehicles will never be able to fully replace ICE cars.
Audi has become another company forced to adjust its previously announced plans. In 2021, the brand promised to fully switch to electric vehicles by 2033, but now it is considering keeping ICE cars in its lineup for a longer period. Speaking to Top Gear, Audi CEO Gernot Diöllner emphasized that the German brand must remain «flexible».
He made this statement in the context of the European Union’s potential decision to postpone its goal of banning the sale of new cars that produce harmful emissions by 2035. At the same time, Audi’s CEO says that electric vehicles are the only way to tackle emissions in the long term.
Meanwhile, Audi is increasing its focus on hybrid vehicles. All future ICE vehicles will include a PHEV option. Döllner acknowledged that these partially electrified powertrains will remain in the lineup longer than planned, as the transition to pure electric vehicles is not happening as quickly as originally anticipated.
Audi has become the latest in a long list of automakers forced to change plans to completely abandon ICE vehicles. Porsche, which is also part of the VW Group, made a similar announcement a few days ago. The company admitted that the transition to electric vehicles is taking longer than expected. Although it remains committed to its goal of having electric vehicles account for more than 80% of sales by the end of the decade, it now admits that this will depend on customer demand.
Bentley (another member of the VW Group) had planned to phase out gasoline cars by 2030. Now the new goal is to do so by 2033. In addition, the launch of the brand’s first electric model, scheduled for 2025, is now being postponed a year later due to platform and software issues.
Volkswagen itself does not rule out that it will keep the current-generation Golf with an internal combustion engine in its lineup until the EU bans the sale of new cars with harmful emissions. This will happen in 10 years, provided that the legislation remains unchanged until 2035. The 9th generation Golf will run on electricity only when it goes on sale later this decade. It will coexist with the 8th generation gasoline variant for many years.
The situation is no better for competitors. Last week, Volvo also hinted that ICEs may remain in the car lineup for the next decade. Although in 2021, the company announced its intention to fully switch to electric vehicles by 2030. The brand will now focus more on hybrids.
Mercedes initially aimed to have hybrids and electric vehicles account for 50% of annual sales by 2025. However, the target has been adjusted to reflect the market situation, and the company abandoned its plan to sell only electric cars after 2030. Mercedes will also continue to produce cars with internal combustion engines «until the 2030s». Earlier, the company predicted that by 2030 it would become fully electric, «if market conditions allow».
Ford previously planned to sell only electric passenger cars from 2030. But recently, the chief operating officer of the Model E Blue Oval electric division, Marin Gjaja, admitted that «was too ambitious». And now the company will not abandon the ICE after the end of this decade.
Toyota, the world’s largest car manufacturer, does not believe in a full transition to electric vehicles at all. A few months ago, Chairman Akio Toyoda said that the market share of electric vehicles will never exceed 30%. He believes that «engines will definitely remain», so a new family of internal combustion engines is currently under development. Toyota has recently teamed up with Mazda and Subaru to express its long-term commitment to ICE technologies with a focus on hybrids and carbon-neutral fuels.
Source: motor1