Audi to present electric vehicles only at Geneva Motor Show

The Audi stand at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show starting next week will be exclusively occupied by electric vehicle (EV) models.

Yes, you heard right: there will be no full ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles to be seen on the Audi stand – only plug-in hybrids and full battery models.

The world reveal of the Audi Q4 e-tron concept will be done there, as will the European reveal of the Audi e-tron GT concept. In total, four all-electric cars will displayed. (All of which are planned to be rolled out in series production form by the end of 2020).

In addition, four new plug-in hybrid models will be shown, plus a display of their Formula E racing Audi e-tron FE05 racing car.

According to the Audi press release, backing this up will be the roll-out of their EV models over 2019 and into 2020. Their press release gives the timeline for this roll-out as:

“Deliveries of the Audi e-tron, the first member of this new quartet of electric vehicles, are set to begin soon. The series-production version of its coupé equivalent, the Audi e-tron Sportback, will be introduced later in 2019. Another electric car – the Audi Q2 L e-tron – will be presented in a few weeks in China and will reach its first customers in that market in 2019.

“Two further series-production debuts will then follow in 2020: the Audi e-tron GT and Audi Q4 e-tron. Concept cars on the stand in Geneva provide a look at these two future models. Before this, in 2019, a brand plug-in offensive involving virtually all market segments will take place.

“New to the range are hybrid versions of the high-volume product lines Audi A6, A7, A8 and Q5 – they are also making their public debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Both of the established plug-in versions of the Audi A3 and Audi Q7 will also be reinstated in their respective ranges – with revised technology – in 2019.”

If you are wondering about the speed of EV introduction: remember, this is all part of the VW group’s mia-culpa for Dieselgate – to become ‘green’ in a hurry, the group now has a projected expenditure of around €40 billion (AU$64 billion) into ‘electric mobility, digitalization and autonomous driving’ – and that’s just for the next five years!

Australian buyers will probably (and as usual) have to wait somewhat longer for ordering (and deliveries). We certainly will have to wait till next week at least until the official reveals next week to hear more about Australian delivery timelines.

However it is a sure sign that the EV revolution is hitting the mainstream when a member of the VW group (the world’s largest auto manufacturing group) makes such a statement about the future of personal transport by showcasing ONLY EVs at one of the world’s premier motor shows.