A Technical Project Manager who worked on the Audi RS5, Ugur Yeter, said that combustion engine technology may still be available until more than 2030. So, what about the electrification spirit being talked about?
A number of reasons indicate that the viability of the internal combustion engine is actually worth keeping. Even though Audi is going full-fledged into the era of electric cars, they still hope that ICE engines can still be used.
For your information, in March 2021, then-Audi CEO Markus Duesmann announced that the company had stopped developing new combustion engines to meet the upcoming Euro 7 emission regulations which had not been decided at the time.
A few months later, a report from Reuters claimed that the executive had quietly announced a full-scale switch to EV starting in 2026. This all seemed as if it were doom for Audi, but the reported announcement of a 2026 transition was never officially confirmed.
To keep the ICE engine running, the Zuffenhausen-based company is reportedly working on a synthetic fuel. Audi even announced to join Formula 1, which will indirectly force Audi to produce cleaner engine technology and smarter fuel with lower emissions.
Without a doubt, Audi is eager to be as efficient as possible. But that doesn’t have to mean all-electric.
While Audi has officially committed to permanently ending combustion engine production by 2033, this announcement comes before provisions for synthetic fuels are permitted by future EU regulations. So there is still a possibility that their ICE engine will use synthetic fuel.
In addition, considering that Audi is starting to actively participate in the F1 championship, their engine technology will continue to be developed until it is quite efficient and better over time.
And one more thing, if the Audi B10 A4 and A5 really arrive in 2025, those two cars will give us a hint about the future of the brand, especially the performance vehicle division. And we believe, there is still a glimmer of hope that the combustion engine will continue to live into the next decade.
