The new Audi naming strategy will split EV and ICE cars

Audi is expected to introduce more than 20 new or updated vehicles by the end of 2025, starting with a new electric compact crossover, the Q6 E-tron, due for release in the second half of 2023.

More than half of new vehicles will be electric by then, and Audi plans to revise its naming strategy to ensure customers clearly identify which models have electric powertrains and which models still have internal combustion engines.

In a presentation Thursday showcasing Audi’s 2022 financial results, Audi CEO Markus Duesmann said the revised naming strategy will result in Audi electric vehicles having an even number in their names and its ICE-only models as well Plug-in hybrids will have an odd number in their names.

He said the transition started with last year’s renaming of the E-Tron as the Q8 E-Tron following the electric SUV’s mid-cycle update. This means the current gas-powered Q8 SUV may be renamed the Q9 after undergoing its own mid-cycle refresh later this year.

Markus Duesman

Similarly, Audi’s forthcoming redesign for the A4 is rumored to be moving to the A5 name, with an electric A4 E-Tron due to be introduced shortly after.

Eventually, Audi’s EVs will also use odd numbers in their names, as the automaker expects to sell EVs exclusively by around 2033. Audi has already confirmed that its last vehicle with an internal combustion engine will be launched in 2026.

During the same presentation, Duesmann also confirmed plans for an electric vehicle positioned below the current Q4 E-Tron. It’s not clear if the model he was referring to is an A4 E-Tron or something smaller like an A2 E-Tron.