The automotive industry is in a sort of purgatory. The electric revolution that we were promised would be in full effect by the mid-2020s was progressing slowly and is now sputtering in the United States, leaving automakers with hodgepodge lineups that run the gamut from gas guzzlers to hybrids and EVs. With so much uncertainty over when electric powertrains will fully usurp internal combustion, the next 10 years will be pivotal as automakers balance their development dollars between gas and electricity.
We spoke with Audi CEO Gernot Döllner at a recent media event, and we learned that Audi plans a measured approach to this transition period as gas powertrains remain popular in the United States. The new A5 arrived for 2025 with combustion engines. S.
-bound EVs. Audi is taking notice of the changing winds. "The drivetrain concepts will definitely swing back to [internal combustion].
That's what we see right now, and I don't know if battery-electric will come back that fast," explained Döllner. That isn't true of every market, of course. Sales of EVs have grown far more rapidly in China and Europe, leaving the potential for the United States to become a sort of gas-powered island in a world that is increasingly moving away from internal combustion.
But Döllner didn't see it that way. "Markets are so dynamic, and every market has its specialty," he said. S.
has these rugged SUV and pickup segments, quite ICE-heavy consumer landscape. China is ahead on battery electric, but has a backswing to extended-range (EREV) and even plug-in hybrid. , including the Q6 e-tron.
With different markets moving at different paces, Audi has pulled back on its plan to go all-EV by 2033 . S. irrelevant.
Instead, he believes the diverse approach to powertrains will have broader benefits for a global brand such as Audi. "I don't see an island, I just see that we need the flexibility anyhow," he said. For the time being, Audi will continue to hone its current platforms for its gas-only and hybrid setups.
"I don't see necessarily new platforms," Döllner explained. " But an important decision regarding powertrains will come early next decade, Döllner said. , regarding combustion engines, then we will have to think about a next-generation platform for combustion engine cars," he said.
Still, Döllner remains steadfast in his belief in Audi's current two-pronged powertrain approach. "We decided to have specific platforms for battery-electric and combustion engines, and I still believe that's the right way to move. " Gernot Döllner with the Audi Concept C at the International Motor Show (IAA Mobility) in Munich, September 2025.
Audi plans to launch an electric sports car based on the Concept C in 2027. With Audi open to developing internal-combustion setups well into the next decade, Audi enthusiasts may wonder whether that means a successor to the R8 supercar is in the cards. A rumor from last year suggested Audi would create a twin to the hybrid V-8-powered Lamborghini Temerario , and although Döllner didn't confirm a new supercar, he didn't rule it out either.
"That's someday thinkable," he pondered, before suggesting that a future supercar could bear a different name. " This isn't the first time we've heard that Audi is considering an off-road-focused SUV, with a report from last year suggesting the model could be based on the Scout platform . " ➡️ Skip the lot.
Let Car and Driver help you find your next car. Shop New Cars Shop Used Cars Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
