Audi will be introducing a new small entry level electric car based on the VW Group's yet-to-be-released next-generation EV platform.
We have set the course to go 100% electric," declared Audi CEO Markus Duesmann at the company's annual media conference. "By 2027, we hope to have an all-electric car in each of our major segments." We just decided to produce a second electric entry-level car beneath the Audi Q4 e-tron."
Although the auto manufacturer's CEO did not provide any further information, the next model is slated to replace the A3. The new entry-level EV will be available as a four-door hatchback and a four-door sedan.
The model is likely to be built on Volkswagen's next-generation SSP (Scalable Systems Platform) architecture, currently codenamed Project Trinity, while independent sources have stated that the platform is in peril. Volkswagen has previously said that the SSP design will be an upgrade over the present MEB platform, with a range of up to 435 miles (700 km).
The platform will also be capable of charging at 270 kW, allowing EVs based on it to gain up to 80 miles (129 km) of additional range in only 10 minutes. The entry-level electric Audi will use VW's innovative "Unified Cell" battery technology, but it will also work with solid-state batteries.
Duesmann also stated that Audi expects to introduce 20 new models by 2025, with more than half of them being all-electric. Audi's electric A3 replacement will most likely arrive after the Q6 e-tron, the first car based on the new and more expensive Premium Platform Electric (PPE) design.
